Dr. Afua Cooper is a multi-award-winning speaker, scholar, historian, author, poet, performer, and cultural commentator for equity, diversity, and inclusion strategies within organizations worldwide. She was presented with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Award in 2015 from the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, she served as Halifax’s seventh Poet Laureate, and she won the Portia White Prize, Nova Scotia’s highest award for artistic excellence. She currently serves as a full professor at Dalhousie University’s Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology.

“For years now, I’ve been giving lectures to Boards of Directors, institutions, universities in terms of the struggle against anti-Black racism….when the public murder of George Floyd happened…that was a point where I really had to go deep in myself, [and ask] what is the purpose of my life?...I want to end racism in the world in my own small way.” - Dr. Afua Cooper

Yona Knight-Wisdom is an Olympian and rising Jamaican athlete in the fiercely competitive, and technical sport of diving. Yona began his diving journey in 2004 at the City of Leeds Diving Club and quickly rose through the ranks to achieve a top five finish at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. From there, it was onto the Olympics, where he became the first male diver in history to represent Jamaica at the 2016 Olympic games. He has since returned to the Olympic stage, representing Jamaica in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

“In my head, that was the only thing that was happening… I would qualify for the Olympics. That was the only outcome.” - Yona Knight-Wisdom

Miriam Zinter is a Black woman who can easily be mistaken as a White woman. As a result of her appearance, she’s had a unique experience in observing racist attitudes. Miriam began her career as a community organizer, following this, she served as the Executive Director of a not-for-profit neighborhood organization. Recently, she served as the senior housing programmer for the City of Rochester, New York, and she now works in the housing finance sector as a Mortgage Officer.

“We were one out of how many? How many other Black families tried to get a house, tried to invest in equity, tried to grow their wealth and at every turn were denied?” - Miriam Zinter

Dr. Tony Fields is one of Canada’s leading figures in oncology, and now serves as MacEwan University's first Chancellor. He is the former president of the National Cancer Institute of Canada, and he has served on the boards of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance, the Canadian Oncology Society, and the Canadian Association of Provincial Cancer Agencies. Dr. Fields was awarded an Order of Canada for his contributions to oncology, and he was named one of Alberta’s top 100 Physicians of the Century.

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it" - Dr. Tony Fields

BlackTALK launches season two with actress Olunike Adeliyi, star of CBC’s The Porter. In this candid conversation we learn about Olunike’s backstory, and how it informed her approach to her work. From her debut in theater, to her premier roles in the popular Canadian crime drama Flashpoint, and the historically significant CBC drama The Porter, we trace the path that led to her current success and the values that informed the choices she’s made to proudly tell her own story.

“Know where you actually came from….don’t let somebody write the narrative for you.” - Olunike Adeliyi

Eight minutes and forty-six seconds

On this episode of BlackTalk, we explore the historical economic links of slavery with Vice- Chancellor of The University of the West Indies and global activist, Sir Hilary Beckles. He shares a disturbingly frank look at the British colonial practices of the Black slave code. These practices were institutionalized and legitimized in order to commoditize Black people as labour and assets. Sir Hilary explains how the economic and societal underpinnings of this new island society of Barbados were exported throughout the Americas. As we find ourselves at this “George Floyd moment”, Sir Hilary illustrates how modern experiences of racism are the appalling legacy of these early colonial practices and institutions.

On this episode of BlackTalk, we’re joined by academic, author and journalist, Dr. Cecil Foster. Dr. Foster weaves his own story of arriving in Canada from Barbados in the 1960s into the larger historical patterns of racism that Black people experience immigrating to Canada. He shares the struggle of being isolated as the only Black journalist in the newsroom and being held back from opportunities to advance. In academia, he faced similar racist behaviour, as both a student and later as a young Black academic. Dr. Foster continues to advocate for a multicultural society and to educate in academia and beyond.

On this episode of BlackTalk our guest is University of Alberta associate professor in the faculty of nursing, Dr. Bukola Salami. Dr. Salami shares the impact racism had on her parents’ careers and in her own career where she has been constantly underestimated. She talks about the importance of mentoring and why she is investing her time as a mentor to young Black students. We also cover the health crisis in the Black community, how COVID-19 has exacerbated health inequities, mistrust in public health institutions and the importance of race based health data.

On this episode of BlackTalk, we welcome speaker, author, academic and former MP, Celina Caesar-Chavannes. Celina speaks candidly about her early life and struggles with mental health issues, which she documents in her memoir, Can You Hear Me Now? Celina was the sole Black female MP in a predominantly white and male government. She shares how and why she entered and exited politics, including her clashes with Justin Trudeau. She talks about why she is so passionate about the work she is doing now as Senior Advisor of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Initiatives and Adjunct Lecturer at Queen’s University and as an advocate for mental health.