An artist, musician, and historian, Donna Coombs-Montrose has spent the last 20 years detailing stories of the people of the African diaspora in the greater Edmonton area, and the province beyond. She is the City Edmonton’s Historian Laureate 2024-2026.

Space in this lecture is limited. Your ticket includes admission to the RAM galleries before the lecture begins.

Donna Coombs-Montrose is a community activist and history advocate who has resided in Edmonton, Alberta for over 20 years. Donna’s activism began while a student in Toronto during the 1970s and continued her heritage exploration in her home country during the succeeding years, after completing her academic training in librarianship and archives.

Since coming to Edmonton with her family she has been an active member of various orgs such as Congress of Black Women (Edmonton Chapter), WAWT (When African Women Talk) and CURC (Council of Union Retirees) and CARIWEST. She has also served as founding member of the Alberta Labour History Institute (ALHI) Caribbean Women Network.

With a passion for storytelling as an essential platform for documenting a community’s history, Donna has recorded with online access, many interviews of community members in labour, culture, health, education, entrepreneurship, in various trades and professional occupations, on the ground of transforming our society. Current projects include Caribbean Oil Workers Contribution to Alberta’s economy, and Jasper Place – The Black Community.

A recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal in 2022, Donna is an avid painter who plays in the music band iLand.+
Energized by a visionary agenda and nurtured by a community with high expectations, the coming period will be pivotal in her role as City of Edmonton Historian Laureate, 2024-2026.