IONS is situated in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaw people. Unceded means that the Mi’kmaq have never relinquished, sold, traded, or transferred ownership of their land to European settler colonies, yet land was taken over without their consent through various processes of settler colonialism. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship, which the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik people first signed with the British Crown in 1726. These Treaties did not involve the surrendering of rights to the lands and resources they had traditionally used and occupied. We are all Treaty People.

We further acknowledge that Nova Scotia is the birthplace of Black culture and heritage in Canada. People of African descent have shared these lands for over 400 years, and over 50 strong and resourceful African Nova Scotian communities exist here today.

We are committed to the struggle against systems of oppression that have resulted in profound inequities and the denial of self-determination rights. We are working actively to deepen our learning at an individual level, provide learning opportunities about anti-racism and decolonization, and to develop partnerships with organizations serving and led by underrepresented groups.

  • Impact Story: Leadership through Art & Identity

    Meet Tara Lynn Taylor

    As the Producer, Director, and Screenwriter of Afromations Media Productions Inc. as well as the Founder and Artistic Director of the Charles Taylor Theatre & Media Arts Association, Tara Lynn Taylor is building infrastructure that allows Black creativity to thrive. Whether through film training programs, community-driven productions, or mentorship – she is working to build longstanding impact into every single project she is involved with. As one of the partners and co-designers of the IONS Black Futures Project, Tara’s leadership was instrumental and rooted in access, imagination, and care. She creates intergenerational pathways for Black community members. With a passion for work with youth and emerging creatives, Tara is ensuring that everyone sees themselves not just represented, but centered as storytellers, decision-makers, and cultural leaders.  

    Black Futures, to me, is joy without permission. It’s the freedom to imagine beyond survival—to dream expansively, to rest, to play, to create without apology. As an Afro-futurist, one practice I return to is storytelling across generations. I intentionally weave ancestral memory, present-day realities, and speculative possibility into my work, reminding us that our futures are built from both remembrance, the gifts we have from God and imagination. 

    Is there a story of impact you can share? 

    One of the most meaningful moments for me is watching participants from our training programs step into real industry roles—joining unions, landing their first paid positions, or seeing their work screened publicly for the first time. Seeing someone realize, “I belong here”—that moment of confidence and clarity—is where I feel the deepest impact. It’s quiet sometimes, but it’s powerful. 

    Black Futures means having the legacy of our ancestors in the here and now.

    Tara Lynn Taylor

    What is your favorite book on Afrofuturism or Black literature, or a piece of Black media that inspires you? 

    Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower continues to deeply inform my work and how I think about Black Futures here in Nova Scotia. At its core, the book is about community, self-determination, and the courage to build something new when existing systems no longer serve you. That feels especially resonant as I work alongside others on the East Preston Ratepayers Association to support self-governance and the rebuilding of community infrastructure. 

    What inspires me most is Butler’s focus on collective responsibility—on people coming together to imagine and create sustainable systems rooted in care. That mirrors the work we’re doing in East Preston: strengthening local leadership, restoring decision-making power to the community, and investing in infrastructure like arts and culture spaces, housing, and essential services that allow people to truly thrive. Parable of the Sower reminds me that Afrofuturism isn’t abstract—it’s practical, grounded, and deeply communal. It’s about building the future with intention, right where we are. Beyond books, Black-led films, music, and community storytelling spaces inspire me daily—especially work that blends the ordinary with the extraordinary, reminding us that Black life itself is already futuristic.  

     What is your wildest dream for Black Futures in Nova Scotia? 

    My wildest dream is a Nova Scotia where Black communities are fully resourced, creatively sovereign, and able to tell their own stories on their own terms—where Black joy is visible, protected, and celebrated. A future where our children grow up knowing they don’t have to leave home to build meaningful creative lives, because the infrastructure, opportunity, and belief already exist here in Nova Scotia. 

    Photo of Black Futures Retreat participants outside