Since 2004, A. Gregory Frankson, OCT, B.Ed., has been featured in numerous audio recordings, videopoems, TV programs, public speeches, articles, and literary journals.
Greg appears in six anthologies, including the award-winning collection The Great Black North, published four poetry collections (Cerebral Stimulation, Lead on a Page, A Weekly Dose of Ritallin, and Cerebral Confections), and edited the critically acclaimed AfriCANthology: Perspectives of Black Canadian Poets. His debut full-length work of creative nonfiction, Alphabet Soup: A Memoir in Letters, will be published by Dundurn Press in January 2025.
Greg is a 2012 national poetry slam champion, a 2013 inductee to the VERSe Ottawa Hall of Honour, Best Author in the 2021 ByBlacks.com People’s Choice Awards, and won Best of the Blog 2022 on All Lit Up for his essay "Black Poets Across Canada." He is the past poet laureate of the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership. He appeared on CBC TV’s Canada’s Smartest Person and is the former poetic commentator on Here and Now Toronto on CBC Radio One.
Greg is the CEO of Voice Share Inc., which helps individuals and teams strengthen their inclusive leadership and effective communication skills, and also works as an independent consultant on inclusive leadership, effective communication, and workplace retention. He recently served on the board of The King's Trust Canada and as a long-serving elected alumni member of the Queen's University Council. He is also the artistic director and lead producer of BlackLit Durham, the Canadian Black Literary Festival, and other projects based in the eastern Greater Toronto Area that highlight and amplify the stories of Black Canadians.
Greg holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees from Queen's University, a Certificate in Coaching for Performance and Mentorship from Ontario Tech, and completed the 4 Seasons of Reconciliation certificate through the First Nations University of Canada.
BLACK HISTORY & EMANCIPATION
Black History Month is celebrated in February across Canada and August is Emancipation Month in Ontario. Greg uses his body of work and expertise in DEI and anti-Black racism to share eloquently about the experiences of Black people in Canada and their uniquely important place in the global African diaspora. IDEAL FOR: Schools, Conferences, Festivals
LITERARY PRACTICE TRANSITIONS
One of the most daunting challenges for a writer is to successfully switch literary genres. This session explores Greg’s experience transitioning from spoken word to creative nonfiction, while asking the question “how do you gain an audience for your new writing without alienating your original readership?” IDEAL FOR: Libraries, Festivals, Conferences
MENTAL HEALTH
There is rising concern about mental health since the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in workplaces and schools. In this topical and timely session, learn lessons and strategies on how to cultivate a culture of care at work, school and in community to ensure success, guided by empathy, passion and purpose. IDEAL FOR: Workplaces, Youth, Community
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP
At the heart of Greg’s work is a deceptively simple idea: Every voice has value. In this interactive session, we examine how owning one’s voice and sharing it more effectively can teach key lessons about self and others, make positive impacts in community, and contribute powerfully to creating social change. IDEAL FOR: Youth, Seniors, Neurodivergent
*WORKSHOP THEME CAN ALSO BE ADAPTED AND SHARED AS AN INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION*
These sessions will be delivered either in-person or virtually for parent councils and school groups and will normally be 60 minutes long with 45 minutes of content delivery, followed by a 15-minute final discussion or Q&A session. Presentations can vary in length depending on needs. Please contact Greg if you have special requests on areas of focus, content, and duration. A brief description of each program option is below:
How to Talk to Kids About Racism
An open forum with concerned parents about anti-racism in a values-based context, the new realities of the post-George Floyd dynamic, and advice to help guide our youth through a time of social upheaval.
The Black Experience in Toronto
Context regarding the history and current challenges facing Canada’s largest Black communities and how they shape responses to student success, curricular issues, discipline, and systemic discrimination.
Role of Language in Stereotyping and Prejudice
An examination of the power of words to shape relationships in the education system in both positive and negative ways, and how students reclaim and assert their agency through anti-racist language.
Parallels Between Black and Indigenous Experiences in Canada
In an open format, we explore the relevant lessons to be gleaned from the common experiences of mistreatment and racism felt by Indigenous and Black students and families in education and beyond.
S.C.H.O.O.L. (Students Can’t Help Overcoming Out Loud) through Spoken Word
This poetry program provides space for youth to navigate their feelings by creatively sharing in their own words about sociocultural issues affecting their lives (such as poverty, racism, and mental illness).
The Canadian Black Experience in My Words
A presentation that explores themes of the African Canadian experience. Two delivery options: spoken word presentation and first-person narrative speech/workshop. Appropriate for Black History Month.
