The “Black Lives Matter: Contemporary and Historical Perspectives on Black Liberation and Activism” was a two-day event that took place on May 6-7, 2016 at York University in Toronto. The conference intended to highlight the development of liberation and activism among African-descended people in historical and contemporary settings. This conference, organized by graduate students from the Harriet Tubman Institute, had a panel discussion featuring members of the research done under the SHADD Biography Project entitled “Exploring the Personal and Political Through Historical Narratives” and chaired by Dr. Vanessa Oliveira.