Black Canadians Strong: Recent Episodes
The National Black Canadians Summit, FMJF
Black Canadians Strong is a podcast that invites Black Canadians and allies alike to speak their truths and tell their stories through thought-provoking and intellectual conversations. In every episode of this limited series, different guests will engage in fruitful discussions around solutions that will uplift the black community in Canada. We will open the conversation on subjects like Reimagining Justice, Health, Entrepreneurship and Education. This podcast is a complement to the NBCS Virtual Series and will push the discussion one step further.
In this two-episode Podcast, Sean Foyn of AFRICANADIAN SEARCHERS, brings together Black Canadian activists, researchers, historian, and legislators to discuss Canada’s relationship with the enslavement of people of African descent, the liberationist/ abolitionist movements connected to this history, and the ever-changing meaning and value of Emancipation Day.
In Episode Two, listeners journey through the 19th to the 21st centuries to witness the meanings and value of Emancipation Day for Black activism, advocacy, excellence, and futurism in Canada and beyond. This episode will feature: the historians from Episode One; Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, East Preston Nova Scotia, who sought national recognition of Emancipation Day through a 2018 Private Member's Bill, and the Motion to Designate August 1, as Emancipation Day (adopted June 2021); Rosemary Sadlier, author, educator, and activist who played a key role in gaining recognition for Black History Month in Ontario and nationally, as well as August 1st as Emancipation Day; Irene Moore Davis, President, Essex Country Black Historical and Research Society, historian, author, educator, and documentary producer; and Dorothy Abbott, Ontario Black History Society, Grey County Heritage Society. Listeners will also hear the work of the nth digri, an artist inspired by the African griot tradition, his Caribbean heritage, and hip-hop culture.
In this two-episode Podcast, Sean Foyn of AFRICANADIAN SEARCHERS brings together Black Canadian activists, researchers, historian, and legislators to discuss Canada’s relationship with the enslavement of people of African descent, the liberationist/ abolitionist movements connected to this history and the ever-changing meaning and value of Emancipation Day. In Episode One, listeners will move from the early enslavement and resistance experience of people of African descent, through the movements for liberty and justice, into the realities of the Slavery Abolish Act, 1833, and arrive at the place of Black self-affirmation of August 1 as Emancipation Day in Canada. This episode will feature: Afua Cooper, Professor of Black Studies, Dalhousie University, Principal Investigator for a Black People of Canada Project, and author of The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal; Natasha Henry, President of the Ontario Black History Society, educator, historian, and author of Emancipation Day: Celebrating Freedom in Canada; Talking About Freedom; and Isaac Saney, Director, Transition Year Program, Dalhousie University, and scholar and researcher on the history of people African descent in Canada. Listeners will also hear the work of the nth digri, an artist inspired by the African griot tradition, his Caribbean heritage, and hip-hop culture.
Carl E. James holds the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora at York University, Toronto and the Senior Advisor on Equity and Representation in the Office of the Vice President of Equity. He teaches in the Faculty of Education and in the Graduate Programs in Sociology, and Social and Political Thought. His research interests include examination of the schooling experiences, educational performance, employment opportunities, career trajectories, and social achievements of Black youth. His most recent publications include: “Colour Matters”: Essays on the Experiences, Education and Pursuits of Black Youth (2021).
Dr. Kevin Hewitt is a full Professor in the Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science, and Chair of Senate (2015-) at Dalhousie University. In his Molecular imaging lab, he has developed novel nanoparticle probes for cancer imaging and treatment, new optical imaging approaches and a prototype medical diagnostic tool. At Dalhousie he unified his deep and abiding interests in science and community engagement by co-founding (in 2003) the innovative and award-winning Imhotep’s Legacy Academy, a STEM outreach program for African Canadian students from junior high to university. He’s featured in Cool Black North, a film which explores the unique and vibrant Canadian Black Community and its role in our country’s contemporary identity
In this discussion, Robert and Jayde discuss racial discrimination in the criminal justice system and social efforts that seek to reduce racism and help the criminal process be fair to all citizens, without bias or prejudice.
Visit our website at blackcanadiansummit.ca for more information