Greetings! My name is Allison “Alli” Rolle (they/them), and I am a poet, collage artist, and activist. I work from my place as a Afro, Queer body in this time and this place. I challenge structures of power and explore how we may bring about new worlds.
Oftentimes, introduction includes a list of identities and accomplishments, but I introduce myself as my grandmother’s baby, the child of South Carolina sharecroppers, and a descendant of my Afro American and Bahamian ancestors.
Presently, I Co-lead and serve as the Project and Resource Navigation Coordinator at LJSP with the amazing erica peña. In this work, I get the honour of blending art and activism, cultivating projects that respond to the intersectional and multidimensional lives of our community in Little Jamaica. When I’m not working, you’ll probably find me writing, on an adventure, or simply resting.
Saludos! I’m erica peña a passionate community educator, who believes in the possibilities generated through popular education, ancestral knowledge, and holistic learning. I design and coordinate learning experiences that are nurturing, inclusive, and culturally responsive.
I developed my pedagogical practice while learning with community groups throughout Abya Yala and Turtle Island and taught in both public and private schools in Colombia. I completed my bachelor degrees in International Development Studies, Indigenous Studies and Education at Trent University and my Master of Education at York University. More recently during COVID, I completed a certification in Permaculture. Applying a decolonial lens to this field broadened my understanding around agroecology and more deeply the ancestral origins of agroecological practices.
Currently, I’m building the Little Jamaica Stewardship Project in Tkaronto to process the gentrification taking place in the neighbourhood and center relationship rebuilding with nature, our ancestries and community members. When I’m not designing projects, you can find me at the river, drumming or playing with my nephews
