Black & Irish: Legends, Trailblazers & Everyday Heroes

Leon Diop is a mixed-race man from Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland. Born to an Irish mother and a Senegalese father, he grew up in a mixed ethnic and religious household. He studied Psychology in Maynooth University where he served two years as Students’ Union President. He is the founder of Black and Irish, an organisation striving to transform Ireland into a global leader in equality and inclusion. He is a host of the Black and Irish podcast with Irish national broadcaster, RTÉ. He currently serves on the boards of the Childhood Development Initiative, and Tallaght and South Dublin County Partnership.

Briana grew up in Yonkers, NY and has lived in Ireland since 2017. She was a secondary school teacher for 12 years and also holds degrees in English and Creative Writing. Briana’s main focus now is to help make Irish schools even more inclusive by empowering teachers to be anti-racist in their approach towards educating the children of Ireland. Black & Irish: Legends, Trailblazers & Everyday Heroes is her first book. She lives in Co. Kildare with her partner and two children and is proud to call Ireland home.