Fennella Bruce Interviews Artist Robert Small on Inspire: Breaking Down Barriers to Success

Fennella Bruce, FKB Media is an extraordinary entrepreneur, writer, media producer and mediator of the Inspire Series. Throughout the series, she shares her stories as a journalist and media creator to the producer for CTV News Channel, Your Morning, and Canada AM. She is also the founder of FKB Media Solutions, a company that helps businesses, startups, professionals, and others develop powerful and successful media strategies.

African-Canadian artist Robert Small is an Order of Canada recipient. He was awarded this distinction because of his contribution to Canadian society, the “LEGACY” poster. For 29 years Small has used his artistic talent to document the history of African-Canadians. Over the course of his career, Small has established himself as an artist of historical significance. Small is the only African-Canadian artist to be given the Order and one of the youngest Canadians to receive one as well.

Small has revolutionized the celebration of Black History Month in Canada through both the presence of his poster and the man himself. He has been a consistent person to be interviewed during Black History Month o major media outlets as The Toronto Star, The Toronto Sun, CBC, City TV and Rogers. He speaks regularly for community organizations, schools and national corporations. His poster reaches millions of students, teachers and Canadians annually about the history, contributions and accomplishments of African-Canadians. Small is a self-taught artist. He has merged his artistic talent, skills as an entrepreneur, teaching degree and appreciation of Black history into a valued community tradition. Small’s poster artwork continues to be the centerpiece of Black History Month celebrations by appearing in thousands of schools across the country.

Small graduated from the University of Windsor with a Sociology and Criminology degree and York University with a teaching degree. Small is also the owner of LEGACY Enterprises. a company that creates afrocentric educational material. Small doesn’t plan to slow his innovative momentum in the future as he has many exciting projects on the way. Small is launching an exciting new venture entitled “Beyond 28 Days” a set of cards featuring information on African-Canadians with QR codes on the back and an online quiz to accompany it.

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