The Black Hum

Today, we bring to you an interview with author Yolanda T. Marshall. Yolanda is an award-winning author of more than 20 books for children, including C is for Carnival, A Piece of Black Cake for Santa, Hot Cross Buns for Everyone, and Brown Girl in the Snow, which was selected by both CBC and The Globe and Mail as among the Best Books of 2025.

Marching North is her latest book. When Aunty Evangelina gifts Abiola an old compass, it becomes more than just a keepsake; it symbolises direction, courage, and identity. She introduces Abiola to the remarkable legacy of Black Caribbean soldiers who served and fought for Canada during the First and Second World Wars. These men travelled from the warmth of their Caribbean nations to foreign battlefields, facing prejudice and hardship while remaining determined to serve with honour. Many returned to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, and community leaders. They were true heroes whose resilience helped shape Canada’s history.

Clip courtesy of Read with Harp.

More about Grimelle starring Cindy Charles.

*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 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.