Hundreds of cities in the U.S. and Canada have erupted in protests and rallies supporting Black Lives Matter and opposing police brutality following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. At the heart of the argument is the injustice of systemic racism.

On this episode of This Is Why, we hear from two perspectives on being Black in Canada, including the problematic history of Black cowboy John Ware and the challenges facing the largest Black community in the country.

Contact:

Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter

Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter

This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter

Email us - [email protected]

Guests:

Cheryl Foggo, a multiple award-winning author, playwright and filmmaker, whose work focuses on the lives of western Canadians of African descent.

Anthony Morgan, a racial justice lawyer and manager of the City of Toronto’s confronting anti-black racism unit.

More resources:

Foggo recommends reading "Policing Black Lives" by Robyn Maynard and "The Skin We're In" by Desmond Cole. She also suggests listening to the podcast "The Secret Life of Canada."

Morgan has penned a couple of articles, including "Black People in Canada are not Settlers" and "What’s wrong with a cheque? A call for slavery reparations in Canada."