The Curve with Christopher: Recent Episodes
Christopher Stuart Taylor
Well, it's a sports and race story, so you know I'm going to give my two cents. But not necessarily in the way you'd think.
Give it a listen. Then listen to Jay-Z's The Story of OJ.
This episode outlines my "Roots & Routes: Knowledge Mobilization Project." It's a project I've been working on for a while and explains many of my travels, my 'research outputs,' and my general focus on my 'purpose' of what I do with-in and with-out academia.
This episode is really about a bit of self-reflection on why we do what we do, and why we need others (white systems) to validate what we do.
And define who we are.
Been a while since I did a sport specific episode, so had some time to collect my thoughts and share them here. This episode focuses around the trade(s) from the Raptors in January 2024. Also gives a little perspective (from me) on just enjoying the games.
It's been 15 cities in 6 countries in the past 6 weeks (with a brief interlude back 'home' at the end of November). Just here wrapping up some quasi-final thoughts on Black identity, Northern Ghana, and shoot, I even talk about my journey with tenure.
Visited the Cape Coast yesterday and really got me thinking about what plagues us in this world - a lack of humanity.
Learned a lot on the brief stay in South Africa.How can you fix the problem if you can't see you are a part of the problem? Or that there is even a problem to fix?
My thoughts on a couple days in Stellenbosch and Cape Town. I need more time to see and learn more, but man, going from Kigali to Cape Town in the span of a few weeks, is something else.
Quick intro to the second half of this fall sojourn to the Continent. I should've labeled it 'Six Countries in Six Weeks.'
Some quick reflections on this first leg of my East, South, West Africa 'Roots & Routes' journey.
Well, not just Amin, but the King's Palace, Racial Hierarchies, and what cracked me up about why Islam isn't the dominant religion in Uganda.
Last time I did a blog, this time I'll capture my thoughts using the audio record. Hoping to post as many as these as I can over the next couple of weeks.Hitting 4 cities, in 4 countries in 13 days. Coming this time around with a different focus and a different perspective. Time to keep working on my 'Roots & Routes' project.
Bringing back the "In Conversation with..." series, this episode features Brother Musah Alhassan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Uprise Travel. This talk was recorded in-person at the University of Waterloo.
Musah Alhassan is the 2014 and 2015 winner of the Ghana Tourism Authority's Regional Tour Guide of the Year award. Before founding Uprise Travel, his tourism experience included M and J Tours, Hilton Hotels, Rustic Pathways, and SDL Tours.
As a teenager Musah first started guiding tours on borrowed motorcycles. After earning degrees from Tamale Polytechnic, he completed hospitality training on full scholarship at HOTCATT in Accra. Musah was raised in Mole National Park, where his father was the longest-serving ranger in the park’s history. He resides in Accra, and speaks more than nine languages, including English, Hausa, Twi, Fante, Gonja, Dagate, Vagala, Sissala, Kamara, and Dagbani.
This episode is a bit different, but sharing the Emancipation Day lecture (with video) I gave at the Cathedral Church of St. James in Toronto on July 30, 2023.
https://stjamescathedral.ca/next-sunday-july-30-emancipation-day-at-the-cathedral/
The title of this one speaks for itself.
If you've got the 'intersections of power' at an all time high, your accountability drops to an all time low.
This episode is a reflection of some of my travels over the past few weeks. I'm going to stop calling what I do 'research,' and call it finding 'R&R' (Roots & Routes).
Resources:
Reparations & Drax Hall
Newton Slave Burial Ground
Slave Chant
'Crypto-Racism' in Barbados
Following the summer theme of film/tv reviews, this solo episode takes a look at They Cloned Tyrone. It engages in a conversation on introspection and self-reflection.
As I wrote on Twitter immediately after watching it:
I know a lot of people are calling #TheyClonedTyrone *a comedy, but it is legit making me question if my purpose in life is to maintain the status quo and be a detriment to those I think I'm trying to uplift.
Dang.
"Assimilation is better than annihilation"*
This episode I'm solo doing a high-level convo on the new show 'I'm a Virgo' on Prime.
I really did this episode for people to start thinking about how their lives intersect with the storylines and if/how they want to engage with fundamental change in our society.
Lots going on in Ontario, Canada, and our globe right now, and the common denominator:
Power and Capitalism. The show hits the nail on its head.
Was having some issues with my editing software, so no intro or conclusion music on this one.
Added resources:
Jones Monologue
Capitalism And Slavery
In this (quick) episode, I address some of the issues I have with Black History Month. It has become a performative/virtue signalling collection of days of the year. I also provide a way forward to keep the month, but shift its significance.
Make August Canada's Black History Month
In this episode, it's just me.
I engage with the history of the Toronto Raptors (players, coaches, executives), through the lens of Critical Race Theory. I spend time going through the nuances of how Pascal Siakam, Dwane Casey, Masai Ujiri, and most importantly Nick Nurse, are treated and 'seen' or 'unseen' by media and fans alike. I highlight the performative actions of the 'Bubble' and BLM and why I think a lot of people still give Nurse the 'Benefit of the Doubt.'
For more information from the podcast:
Des Moines Register
Racism and Its Impacts
In this episode, we have elite and international athlete, Nasif Chowdhury. He is joined by Joyce Barlow, Associate Director of Disability Inclusion at the University of Waterloo.
Nasif, Canada Para Volley National Team member, elite and national wheelchair basketball player, and University of Waterloo student, discusses the ins and outs of sitting volleyball, how he got started, his career, and how this is a sport for every one.
Follow Nasif on IG:
@nasifchowdhury
https://volleyball.ca/en/athletes/nasif-chowdhury
https://volleyball.ca/en/sitting-volleyball-teams
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/paralympics/canada-sitting-volleyball-worlds-recap-nov5-1.6642125
In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Rima Berns-McGown.
Dr. Berns-McGown engages with the real challenges of doing anti-racism and equity work in a government system, the reification and personification of intersectional identities, transnational othering, anti-Black racism, antisemitism, and more.
Dr. Berns-McGown is a scholar, author of Muslims in the Diaspora: The Somali Communities of London and Toronto, a community voice, mentor, and former NDP MPP for Beaches-East York.
Twitter: @beyrima
I'm introducing a new series to the podcast, "In Conversation With..."
These episodes don't necessarily focus specifically on sports; however, they engage with topical issues of the day to keep the listeners informed and provide critical and thoughtful dialogue.
In the first episode, it is my pleasure to welcome Dr. Samer Abdelnour of The University of Edinburgh Business School.
Dr. Abdelnour provides listeners with a nuanced overview of antisemitism, Palestinian Rights, the IHRA, white supremacy, and settler colonialism. He challenges the listener to engage critically with Canadian and global issues that most have an opinion about, but few have a critical understanding of the historical, political, and social interconnections.
Resources for further learning:
https://www.noihra.ca/
https://jewishcurrents.org/the-jerusalem-declarations-fatal-flaw
In this episode we have three special guests discussing the history, reality, and basics of the game of cricket.
A key message is to understand that while cricket was used as a colonizing force in the 17th to 20th centuries, it is now a way to unite people of different dimensions of diversity from all corners of the globe.
Guests:
Chris Fletcher
Umair Shah
Peter Donahue
Dhruv Patel
Follow-up reading:
Beyond a Boundary - CLR James
This episode we tackle the nuances of 'African American' vs 'Black' vs 'ethnicity' vs 'nation' and settle in the grey area of the 'hot takes' coming from Chris Broussard over the Kevin Durant saga.
Note: don't just read the title of this podcast and come to a conclusion of what 'side' I'm on.
Check out the clip then listen to the podcast.
"The forest was shrinking but the trees kept voting for the axe, for the axe was clever and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood, he was one of them." - Turkish Proverb
In this episode, we engage with events of June 2022 - Hockey Canada sexual assault case, Fina, and Roe v Wade - and how the silence around rape culture, trans inclusion, and abortion rights, is quite telling. Sport was to be a beacon for change post-May 25 2020, but clearly, Charles Barkley was right.
Meanwhile, Brittney Griner is still in prison in Russia.
In this episode, we will engage with the GROAT getting 'fat shamed' by Pat Riley, and also put that in context with another Toronto sport legend in the making - Vladdy Jr.
We frame this conversation around the consumption of Black man bodies as 'things' to perform, but also to look a certain way to seemingly allow them to perform.
We engage with how these examples of Black man athlete bodies can distort how boys and young men engage with sport and how they accept - and reject - their own bodies.
In the final episode of 2021, we have three special guests to discuss their positionality, their love for sport, and how they were able to apply Critical Race Theory to understand the 'not-so-good-parts' of systemic oppression in the institution of sport.
This episode is a recap of the ARTS130 'Shut Up & Dribble' course from the Fall Term of 2021 at the University of Waterloo.
For our final podcast for Winter 2021, we have Dr. Lisbeth Berbary, Associate Professor in Recreation & Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo. Dr. LB drops knowledge on how she challenges students to think beyond themselves (their Self) to be able to engage critically with the world around them and re-think how the institutions they love define them.
Special thanks to Nadia Booraki from the class this term for making this fantastic connection.
Check Dr. LB on IG @differentlyentangled
Some added resources from Dr. LB:
The dig: Black left with Charisse Burden-Stelly: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-left-with-charisse-burden-stelly/id1043245989?i=1000516681952
The dig (Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/identity-power-and-speech-with-ol%C3%BAf%E1%BA%B9-mi-t%C3%A1%C3%ADw%C3%B2/id1043245989?i=1000501453442
For the wild: Femi: https://forthewild.world/listen/olufemi-o-taiwo-on-climate-colonialism-and-reparations-216
Black and Red: Socialism and Black Liberation. Conversations in Black Freedom Studies: https://youtu.be/gNT4FTOy3kM
https://hoodcommunist.org/
Robin D.G. Kelley: http://bostonreview.net/race-philosophy-religion/robin-d-g-kelley-why-black-marxism-why-now
Solidarity: Activism within the university: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olbnwpV4B38
Dr. Andrea Davis, “Black tax and the invisible labour of Black women in Academia” https://youtu.be/vTRAtm21hvg
Back by popular demand we have University of Waterloo student Edmund Un and all-around 'Renaissance Man' Remi Ojo to chat more on Ultimate Frisbee. We get into topics about sinophobia and anti-Asian racism, being 'Black' and one of the best Ultimate players in Canada, and what's next for both of their careers.
Check Remi in action from 2016:
https://youtu.be/aaprMNoN7Pw
More ways to get involved:
Waterloo Warriors Men’s Ultimate: https://www.facebook.com/WarriorsUlti
Waterloo Warriors Women’s Ultimate: https://www.facebook.com/WaterlooWomensUltimate
Toronto Ultimate Club: https://www.tuc.org/
Waterloo Organization of Disc Sports: https://www.wods.ca/
Toronto GOAT vs. Denver Johnny Bravo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs0aBQaFuhw
On this episode, we have UW acturial science student and Toronto Rock box lacrosse player, Troy Holowchuk, on to discuss his journey to the pros, how he balances the demands of his school program and being a pro athlete, the UW Lacrosse Club, and his appreciation for The Creator's Game as a self-identified white man.
UW Lacrosse Club Instagram:
@uwwarriorslacrosse
All info about signing up for the UW Lacrosse Club is in the link in the club’s Instagram bio
Troy's Contact Info:
Instagram: @troy.holo29
Twitter: @t_roy_holo30
Email: tsholowc@uwaterloo.ca
Other UW Lacrosse Club Executives Instagram:
Aly Calhoun: @calhoun_aly
Sophie Stupalo: @soph.71
Hannah Cardoza: @hannah.cardoza
This episode features Sean Woodley from @lockedonraptors @CEBLeague @uhhbasketball (Twitter). We chat about the Raptors handling of the Davis gender-based-violence silence, the performative nature of BLM, access and power with Raptors' "state-run" media, favourite Raptors pre-2014, and outlook for the rest of the 2020-2021 season.
Check out Sean on Twitter @woodleysean
This episode we have University of Waterloo student Edmund Un and all-around 'Renaissance Man' Remi Ojo come give us a chat on the ins and outs of Ultimate Frisbee, and how we can increase representation in the sport.
This episode features Brother Aaron Francis, the founder and curator of Vintage Black Canada, to educate the masses on Lennox Lewis and the boxing pedigree that comes out of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
In this first episode of season 2, we have University of Waterloo Professor Craig Fortier kick it with me to chat about a history of baseball, labour and social justice movements, Curt Flood, and the (literal and figurative) boundaries in baseball.
https://uwaterloo.ca/social-development-studies/people-profiles/craig-fortier
We all need to take a pause and think about what the IAAF/World Athletics has done to destroy this woman's career.
I tackle this one on my own.
In this episode I tackle the 'myth' of integration and how it in fact reinforces anti-Black racism and oppression.
Should Maradona be remembered as being a Black soccer/football player?
I take on this one on my own.
Can get a hold of Wendy-Ann Clarke:
Twitter @WendyAnnRuns
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgUirc6yyWrYZEKO-m3kQ
Can get a hold of Sabrina Razack: Twitter: @bcuzofhersports IG: @Becauseofhersports http://just2001.temp.domains/~teachbey/2019/04/
How to connect with Mike or Catherine:
Twitter: @IrelandLacrosse
Twitter: @2022worldu21lax
Web: https://linktr.ee/IrelandLacrosse
Web: https://www.2021worldlax.com/
How to connect with Aly Calhoun:
Twitter: @calhoun_aly
Email: ascalhou@uwaterloo.ca
IG: @uwwarriorslacrosse
How to connect with Stephen Gleeson:
Twitter: @StephenGleeson_
Web: http://tippfm.com/people/sport-people/meet-tipp-fm-sports-team/
Book: https://www.amazon.ca/Tipperary-Game-Life-Stephen-Gleeson/dp/1910827185
Our guest today is Dr. Richard Norman
How to get a hold of Dr. Norman:
Web: https://linktr.ee/richardjohnnorman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardjohnnorman/?originalSubdomain=ca
IG: @rjn.darksports