Rita Cox

Rita Marjorie Cox (born 1929 or 1930) is a storyteller, community leader and retired librarian based in Toronto, Ontario. As the head of the Parkdale branch of the Toronto Public Library, she pioneered services that promoted multiculturalism and literacy. She was awarded the Order of Canada for storytelling, and her legacy extends to her role as a leader in Caribbean and Black communities. A library collection, park, and school (Dr. Rita Cox - Kina Minagok Public School) are named after Cox in Toronto.

Early life Rita Marjorie Cox was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1929 or 1930. Her mother was a teacher As a child, Cox was immersed in oral storytelling in Trinidad.

Looking back on her childhood, Cox described herself as "a library child." Cox often spent time reading at her local library in Port of Spain and aspired to work in libraries from a young age. A friend of her father's was the head of the local library.

Librarianship

New York Public Library While Cox was still living in Trinidad, librarian and storyteller Augusta Baker visited from the New York Public Library to help set up a new children's library. Cox worked at New York Public Library's flagship building on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, where she was mentored by Augusta Baker. month-long celebrations for ethnic groups, dubbed Festival International; Parkdale Community Information Referral; She made storytelling as an important part of her tenure at the Parkdale branch. In 1992, Cox was a consultant for the public library system in São Paulo, Brazil. She stayed in Brazil for three weeks, during which time she organized a storytelling festival and spoke to groups of library workers. Similarly, Cox has said that being a children's librarian and being a storyteller are "synonymous". Cox draws on her Trinidadian heritage with Anansi tales and Caribbean folklore. She developed the idea with storyteller Mary Carter Smith while attending one of many Black storytelling festivals in the United States. They spanned storytelling, music, dance, poetry, and drama. Being told stories is an "essential tool" for building literacy, according to Cox. She volunteered in the first festival. Later on, she stated that the festival "changed Toronto [...] it really showed everyone the meaning of multiculturism." and then again in 2016.

Cox has also authored several stories and one children's book. A review of the book in The Globe and Mail was negative but praised the ending. Another review in Enviro New Express was mixed, with criticism of the black and white illustrations.

She wrote a booklet about library services for children, Multicultural Programming (1989), as part of a series from the Canadian Library Association.

Between 1991 and 2001, Cox created and taught a course called "Children's Literature, an Intercultural Perspective" at York University. In 2006, it was renamed the "Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection". Items in the collection are available to borrow According to Toronto Public Library, it is "one of the most significant Black and Caribbean heritage collections in Canada."

Names of park and school In 2008, a park named in honour of Cox opened, located at 14 Machells Avenue in Toronto.

In 2022, a school in the Parkdale neighbourhood in Toronto was renamed "Dr. Rita Cox - Kina Minogok Public School", honouring Cox and an Indigenous phrase. Ontario Library Association Children's Services Guild Award (1992) Honorary doctorate degree from York University (1993) Member of the Order of Canada for outstanding work in storytelling and literacy (1997) African Canadian Lifetime Award, Outstanding Contribution to the Community from Pride Magazine (2010) Honouree of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women (2016) Caribbean Tourism Organization Lifetime Achievement Award (2019)