Akilah Newton is an activist, entrepreneur and author. She has always had a fascination with the arts and pursued her passion by studying music, drama and dance, and performing in productions at John Abbott College and as a member of the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir. In 2003 she moved to England to attend the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. After earning a BA in Arts, Music & Entertainment Management she returned to Montreal and founded an organization for artistically-inclined youth. She founded Overture with the Arts (OWTA) in 2009; an organization committed to making the arts accessible to youth from all walks of life. She made it her mission to produce OWTA programs and events that spark discussions about social change. One of OWTA’s most popular programs is their annual Black History Month school tour. The tour visits schools across Canada and educates youth about Canadian Black History using music and spoken word.

Akilah is also the founder of Akilah Newton Projects Inc.; a company that celebrates diversity in ethnicity, gender and orientation through literature, games and art activities and supplies. In 2018 Akilah co-wrote the children’s book Big Dreamers: The Canadian Black History Activity Book for Kids Volume 1. The book highlights the achievements of Black Canadians whose stories are often left untold. Since 2018, Big Dreamers has sold over 6,000 copies. Due to the popularity of the book, in November 2020, Akilah co-wrote and self-published Big Dreamers: The Canadian Black History Activity Book for Kids Volume 2, which has sold over 3,000 copies.

2021 has been an exciting year for Akilah with the recent launch of her first full colour children’s storybook titled Movers, Shakers, History Makers: The Canadian Black History Book of Rhymes. In addition, she has several other product launches this year including a jigsaw puzzle, a line or crayons and more!