Born in Montreal in 1925, Mairuth Sarsfield was an author, activist, journalist, researcher and diplomat. She was one of the first Black women appointed to the CBC Board of Directors. She worked for Foreign Affairs at Expo 67 in Montreal and at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan. As senior information officer for the United Nations Environment Program in Nairobi, Kenya, she created the international campaign "For Every Child a Tree." In 1986, Sarsfield received the Chevalier de l'ordre national du Québec. In 2005, No Crystal Stair was a contender on Canada Reads. Mairuth Sarsfield died in 2013 at the age of 88.