Meet Stephanie Voltaire, a young woman of Haitian descent living in the City of Ottawa, Ontario. Tall and curvy, with dark chocolate skin and a stylish Afro, Stephanie is fiercely proud of her Haitian origins. While attending Carleton University, Stephanie studies business administration and hopes to make her mark by also celebrating black art and literature...
Stephanie Voltaire was born in the town of Quartier Morin, northern Haiti, and although her family has lived in Ottawa for a long time, she never forgot where she came from. Stephanie remembered the strong and hard-working people of her quaint hometown. She wanted to celebrate their lives through her art. Stephanie felt driven to make a difference, which wasn't easy since she lived in a world determined to keep her down...
Stephanie Voltaire is tall, brilliant and beautiful, but she's also a black woman, and there are certain things in Canada which she cannot escape. A lot of white Canadians, even the friendly and so-called decent ones, have a problem when they meet a black person who's attractive, smart, and more talented than they are. A kind of knee-jerk insecurity causes them to lash out at such a person. For reasons like these, Stephanie is cautious around people of other backgrounds. They tend to see her as just black, rather than, say, a human being...
Fortunately for Stephanie Voltaire, kindred spirits do exist. That's how Stephanie Voltaire met the woman destined to change her life forever, an Indian cutie named Ankita Desai. To say that these two young women came from different worlds would be an understatement. Ankita Desai is originally from the Kerala region of India, and came to study biology at Carleton University in preparation for a career in medicine.
Ankita Desai is one of those demure beauties that a lot of people can't help but notice. Short and sweet, soft-spoken and smart, with enchanting brown eyes and a ravishing smile, Ankita Desai took Stephanie Voltaire's breath away from the moment they met. Stephanie felt drawn to Ankita and went after her because, well, that's the kind of woman she is.
At first, Ankita Desai resisted her feelings for Stephanie Voltaire because, let's face it, the Indian community isn't known for its tolerance of gays, lesbians and bisexual people. Ankita's parents Kesavan and Mariam Desai want her to go to medical school, find a good husband and get married. Stephanie could totally relate to what Ankita was going through because she'd undergone the same thing.
Stephanie Voltaire's parents, proud Haitian immigrants Stephen and Amelia Voltaire, raised their only daughter to be a good Christian gal. When Stephanie told them of her love for women, they were surprised but ultimately supportive. Ankita was happy for Stephanie when the other woman revealed that little tidbit, but knew that her own family, being deeply traditional Indian immigrants, wouldn't be so kind.