In this episode, we chart the path of E. Lionel Cross — soldier, trailblazing Black lawyer, and civil-rights advocate — and his campaign to hold the Ku Klux Klan accountable after the Oakville cross burning and kidnapping. It is a story about the power of the courtroom and the unfinished work of justice in Canada.

*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*

Host Cindy Charles

Writer Nuruddin Qorane

Executive Producer Ryan Barnett

Associate Producer Cindy Charles

Voice Director Sonia Gemmiti

Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta

Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost

This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams

Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett

A Knockabout Media Production

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we trace the rise of Rufus Rockhead and the making of Rockhead’s Paradise — the club that became the epicentre of Montreal’s jazz scene. It’s the story of how one man’s ambition transformed a city’s nightlife and created a powerful space for music, community, and resistance.

*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*

Host Cindy Charles

Writer Nuruddin Qorane

Executive Producer Ryan Barnett

Associate Producer Cindy Charles

Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti

Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta

Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost

This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams

Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett

Featuring "Hello Montreal" performed by Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians

A Knockabout Media Production

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Alexander Downey was a veteran of two world wars and the patriarch of one of Nova Scotia’s most storied families. From the forests of wartime France to the communities of North Preston, this is the story of his service, sacrifice, and the legacy he passed on to generations who would carry his fighting spirit into the boxing ring and beyond.

*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*

Host Cindy Charles

Writer Nuruddin Qorane

Executive Producer Ryan Barnett

Associate Producer Cindy Charles

Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti

Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta

Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost

This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams

Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett

A Knockabout Media Production

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Black medical student. An all-Black battalion. A war that needed his skills but never fully recognized his service. In this episode of The Black Hum, we look at the life of Dr. Hewburn Greenidge as it stretched from British Guiana to Winnipeg to the timber camps of the Jura Mountains and back to the heart of the Amazon.

*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*

Host Cindy Charles

Writer Nuruddin Qorane

Executive Producer Ryan Barnett

Associate Producer Cindy Charles

Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti

Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta

Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost

This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams

Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett

A Knockabout Media Production

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the season premiere of The Black Hum, we trace the extraordinary life of Charlie Kelly, a standout baseball player from Ingersoll, Ontario, and a member of Canada’s No. 2 Construction Battalion. From local ballfields to the First World War, Kelly’s story reveals how sport offered both escape and opportunity. The episode culminates in the legendary “Forestry Game,” where Kelly took the mound before a crowd that included the King of England, challenging racial barriers through sheer talent. 

*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*

Host Cindy Charles

Writer Nuruddin Qorane

Executive Producer Ryan Barnett

Associate Producer Cindy Charles

Voice Director Sonia Gemmiti

Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta

Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost

This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams

Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett

A Knockabout Media Production

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Candy: The Lou Gehrig of Comedy is a series that honours the timeless humour and heartfelt performances of John Candy, star of hits like Splash, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Home Alone.

In this episode, we explore John's beginnings, growing up in the Toronto area, and his early days working in children's theatre, which eventually leads to his first big audition: Second City Toronto.

Follow us HERE.

Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett

Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti

Recorded by Tyler Rauman

Additional voices by Matthew Barnett & Sean Quinlan

A Knockabout Media Production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this, a special bonus episode of The Black Hum, we speak with historians Kathy Grant and Mathias Joost to untangle several often repeated myths about No.2 Construction Battalion.

*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*

Written & Hosted by Cindy Charles

Produced by Ryan Barnett & Cindy Charles

Voice Director Sonia Gemmiti

Recorded by Tyler Rauman

This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Sgt. Craig Smith, Douglas Ruck, Lindsay Ruck, Mathias Joost, and Kathy Grant

Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett

Featuring a musical performance "How Great Thou Art" by Reeny Smith & Family

A Knockabout Media Production

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover the life and legacy of L.M. Montgomery in this insightful 7-part podcast, in which we explore her childhood, literary journey, and the timeless impact of Anne of Green Gables on generations of readers.

In this episode, we explore the formative years of author Lucy Maud Montgomery. We delve into her early life in Prince Edward Island and discuss the influences and experiences that shaped her writing, including the loss of her mother and the complexities of growing up in a strict household. Join us as we uncover how Montgomery’s youth laid the foundation for her beloved novels.

Regional Mental Health Resources.

Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett

Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti

Associate Producers Maia Foster-Sanchez & Kristi Prophet

Recorded by Tyler Rauman

This series features interviews with Kate Macdonald Butler, Kate Scarth, Jessica Young, Laura Robinson & Yuko Matsumoto.

Additional voices by Candace Amarante & Matthew Barnett

A Knockabout Media Production

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from the Government of Canada.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does a forgotten piece of history become uncovered? In this, our final episode in the series, you will learn about what happened to the men of the No.2 after the war, and how their story came to light decades later.

Join us as we explore the remarkable history of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canada’s only all-Black battalion during the First World War, uncovering their legacy, contributions, and the untold stories of Black Canadian soldiers in our latest podcast on military history, diversity, and heritage.

*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*

Written & Hosted by Cindy Charles

Produced by Ryan Barnett & Cindy Charles

Voice Director Sonia Gemmiti

Recorded by Tyler Rauman

This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Sgt. Craig Smith, Douglas Ruck, and Lindsay Ruck.

Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett

Featuring a musical performance "How Great Thou Art" by Reeny Smith & Family

A Knockabout Media Production

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.