Lighting the Way. Literally.

In 2021, Tennesha Joseph was chosen as an Ontario Community Changemaker and received a $5,000 grant from 8 80 Cities to fund her community project – which is lighting the way for women to this day. Are You Afraid of the Dark T.O? is a public space initiative that explores creating safer environments for women and girls at night through LED-lit furniture installations.

“Being an Ontario Community Changemaker to me means committing to real and meaningful change in the lives of people within my community,” Tennesha said. “It requires challenging the status quo and exploring bold new ways to improve our collective future. As a changemaker, I am dedicated to using my voice as a catalyst to inspire others to take action in their own communities, while building a network of like-minded individuals who share the same vision. I understand that change is not linear, so being a changemaker requires a long-term commitment to transformative action beyond addressing immediate concerns.”

In the past year, Tennesha has conducted surveys, created an Instagram page, and thrown a street party for women and girls featuring live music, free refreshments, and LED-lit furniture. Additionally, she participated in Kitchener's first pop-up park, where she led discussions on nighttime safety. Her work was featured in Spacing Magazine, and she spoke on her first panel discussion organized by 24HourNation.

Tennesha says she was attracted to urban planning because she wanted a career that would allow her to problem solve, design, and have a direct impact on people's lives, particularly those in marginalized communities. “As a young Black woman, I hope to bring an intersectional voice to planning that prioritizes the needs of diverse groups and helps historically marginalized communities access adequate urban services,” she said. “Urban planning has historically been dominated by white, able-bodied, straight men, leaving little room for diverse perspectives. Throughout my career, my goal is to amplify and incorporate the needs and lived experiences of marginalized groups within the planning process.”

One of the people Tennesha most admires in the field right now is Cheryll Case, founder and executive director of CP Planning, a non-profit urban planning organization that promotes a human rights approach to planning through cross-sector coordination. “What I find most impressive about Cheryll is her dedication to not only prioritizing the experiences of marginalized individuals but also advocating for them and actively involving them in the planning process,” said Tennesha.