She made a space for Black artists and businesses in Quebec

CBC Quebec is highlighting people from the province's Black communities who are giving back, inspiring others and helping to shape our future. These are the Black Changemakers.

One morning six years ago, Keithy Antoine veered from her usual route to her children's daycare.

She was preoccupied, thinking about her future. Her marriage had just ended, and she had decided to take a year off work to figure out what she wanted to do next.

"I didn't even know who I was anymore," Antoine said. She felt she needed "to redefine success, redefine happiness, redefine a healthy relationship with my kids" — in short, redefine who she was.

A vacant storefront caught her eye.

"I saw that empty space, and I was like, 'OK, I'm taking it.'"

At the time, Antoine said, she had no idea what would come next.

"I had the feeling that this space would answer me, show me what to do."

Antoine said there was a need for a place where Black businesses — especially those run by single parents like her — could thrive. What started out as a co-working space soon became a store, she said, as it became clear people needed somewhere to actually sell their products.

"We need spaces to not only conduct our businesses, but to test, and trial and error, and see if that's really what we want to do," she said, "a space where [you] can make mistakes, and you're still welcome."

And so Boutique Espace Urbaine was born: a place for Afro-Caribbean artists and craftspeople in Montreal to showcase and sell their work.

Over the years, the space has grown, moving from that first little storefront to its current location on St-Hubert Street in the Petite-Patrie district.

'A place at the table'

Antoine is also director of Afro Urban Fest, an arts and culture festival she co-founded that celebrates Montreal's Black community.

"Everybody is welcome to come and celebrate with us. That's what's so beautiful. We have things to say, things to share, and we want to create spaces to be able to share them."

Antoine is not done. She said she's pushing into the media space, hoping to get into hosting despite her sense that there are not "many opportunities in Quebec for people that look like me."

She said she wants young girls to look at what she's done and learn to listen to their instincts, as she did the day she passed by that empty storefront.

"I'm an aging Black, dark-skinned girl that is still relevant, still young at heart," she said — and still with a place at the table.

"I'm still part of the conversation."

The Black Changemakers is a special series recognizing individuals who, regardless of background or industry, are driven to create a positive impact in their community. From tackling problems to showing small gestures of kindness on a daily basis, these changemakers are making a difference and inspiring others. Meet all the changemakers here.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.