Omayra has been featured in several media publications because of the originality of her journalist work and her commitment to excellence.
Omayra was profiled in this article by Kate Black for New Trail, the University of Alberta alumni magazine, in 2022:
5 Things I’ve Learned About Black History on the Prairies
How one grad’s journey through the past helped her better understand her present
Omayra Issa, ’14 BA, has lived in the Prairies ever since coming to Canada from Niger as a teenager. But learning that Black people have lived in the Prairie provinces for more than 200 years has transformed her perspective.
Knowing that Black people have deep roots here has changed the way Issa sees this part of Canada — and herself. She realizes now that she belongs to a community and history of people who have helped make the Prairies what they are today.
It is just one of the important realizations Issa, a senior reporter for CBC, had while co-creating and co-producing Black on the Prairies, an online collection of stories about Black people in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The series explores topics from the past and present, from stories of Black communities’ early migrations to Canada to how Indigenous and Black activists continue to learn from each other today.
Here’s what she has learned about Black people’s history and presence in these provinces — and why she believes teaching it is so important.
Omayra was featured on the front page of Relevance magazine in 2020:
Omayra was featured on the front page of Women of Saskatoon magazine in 2019:
