Additional information
by Leon Diop (Author), Jessica Louis (Illustrator), Briana Fitzsimons (Author)
A landmark publication in Irish history; this is a celebration of Black Irish identity. Published in collaboration with the organisation of the same name, Black & Irish, who were founded in June 2020 coinciding with the Black Lives Matter movement. Actors. Athletes. Activists. Style icons. Scientists. Influencers. Entrepreneurs. Black Irish people are blazing trails in every sphere of modern life. In the first ever book about Black Irish people, we take a look at the inspirational careers, dreams and achievements of legends, trailblazers and everyday heroes, including actor Ruth Negga, soccer player Gavin Bazunu, reality tv star Dami Hope, author Emma Dabiri, record-breaking sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke and musician Phil Lynott. Within these pages, you will find both famous and unsung Black Irish people. Black and Mixed-Race people have lived in Ireland for hundreds of years, but even now the concept of being Black and Irish is still being discovered and discussed. We hope the stories of the legends, trailblazers and everyday heroes in this book will inspire young Black Irish people, and provide insight into the Black Irish experience to people from all walks of life. With stunning colour illustrations by Jessica Louis.
Author Biography
Leon Diop is a 28-year-old mixed-race man from Dublin, Ireland. Born to an Irish mother and a Senegalese father, he grew up in a mixed ethnic and religious household. He is the founder of Black and Irish, an organisation striving to transform Ireland into a global leader in equality and inclusion. He is a host of the Black and Irish podcast with Irish national broadcaster, RTÉ.
Briana Fitzsimons grew up in Yonkers, NY, USA, and has lived in Ireland since 2017. She has been a teacher for 12 years and also holds degrees in English and Creative Writing. Briana joined the Black and Irish team in 2021 and has been working to make schools across the country more inclusive for all students. She lives in Co Kildare with her partner and two children and is proud to call Ireland home.
Jessica Louis is an independent illustrator from Nigeria, whose work features bright colorful characters, shapes and scenes that speak to the emotions at the edges and in the core of our lived experience. She has exhibited with DesignOpp in Dublin, Fresco in Paris and published in Totally Dublin. She's represented by Studio BLVCK and together they paving a new path for independent black creatives across the world.
