Canadian actor, writer, producer Arnold Pinnock chats with us about his new historical drama, The Porter - the largest Black-led TV series ever created in Canada. Originated by Pinnockand Bruce Ramsay, The Porter follows the civil rights struggle of railway porters in the 1920s who collaborate to create North America's first Black labour union. The Porter is inspired by real events and primarily set in Montreal, Chicago and Detroit, as the world rebuilds after the First World War. 

The CBC and BET+ original series airs Monday nights on CBC and CBC Gem. 

Black or “Ethnic” media as they are usually referred to by the industry, aren’t currently regarded in the same light as “mainstream” media outlets.  Black outlets are sought only for pitching and partnerships for campaigns that are targeted to the Black demographic.  They are generally relegated to the back of the line on red carpets and often don’t get access to speak to talent.  

Black outlets deserve the same amount of access granted as their white counterparts, to truly diversify the lens used in media storytelling and expand the trajectory of your communication.

There is currently, as well as historically a scarcity of Black talent in the communications/marketing industry.   One cause is a lack of awareness of the sector among black students, as former Black generations haven’t worked in the industry.  This paired with a lack of representation among senior team members often make Black professionals feel as though “I’m not welcome/comfortable here since no one looks like me.”   

A lack of Black representation means a lack of diversity of lived experiences, and hinders the evolution of the communications industry.  

New attention on anti-Black racism is being diluted by conversations around racial prejudice experienced by BIPOC. Anti-Black racism is presented in specific ways and those systemic barriers and prejudices are not experienced by other people of colour.   

This episode explores our first point in our Code Black Anti-Black Racism Manifesto - how we must "Be Specific" and acknowledge that anti-Black racism is real and systemic racism is experienced by Black people in a specific way.

In this episode, Bunmi Adeoye and Maxine McDonald speak with Katie-Ann Wallace, Stephanie Pollard and Mandela Johnson, three young communications professionals, on their journey from student to practitioner. Underemployment, microaggressions, and unpaid internships are among the common experiences examined.

As longtime advocates of Black representation and advancement within the communications space,  this episode explores Code Black's manifesto discussing the impact of anti-Black racism within the industry, as well as actions that can be taken today to address systemic barriers.

Code Black partnered with renowned celebrity therapist, empowerment coach, author and transformational speaker, Vladimire Calixte for an evening of enlightening discussion exploring how to navigate the competing narratives during the Covid-19 pandemic - productivity vs. rest, joy vs. grief, constant worry vs. self-care and much more.

With working from home (WFH) becoming the new normal for many people during the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode explores some tested tips & tricks to stay productive during this challenging time.

For this special episode, Code Black Communicator Network partnered with Cityline's Tracy Moore for an evening of inspiration, insight and mentorship. Listen as PR strategist and publicist, Dalton Higgins, writer and producer, Kathleen Newman-Bremang, and news anchor and lifestyle TV host, Marci Ien share hard earned industry lessons and tips through a moderate discussion led by Tracy Moore.

From Gayle King to Kanye to Don Cherry to Jussie Smollett, there's not shortage of folks getting cancelled. In a world where everyone's cancelled does the term hold any wait? Are there rules to being cancelled? In this episode of Code Black we dive into cancel culture to try and find meaning.