Beyond Black

Horizon Ottawa board member, Sam Hersh joins Emma to break down the Ottawa Police Services Board, how it operates, some major events in the city’s recent timeline and what you can do to get involved. Now that this month’s meeting has been cancelled, it is more important than ever that we hold the board and our elected officials accountable. 

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With the latest season of The Bachelorette now wrapped up and our first ever Black winner, it is important to celebrate this moment and make sure we continue to hold these shows, networks, and media accountable. Representation in media matters. With a new season of The Bachelor around the corner and many viewers criticizing the franchise’s choice of lead, it is important to remember the racist legacy the show has cultivated to date and not let these historic moments be tokenizing experiences to be forgotten. Emma is joined by long-time friends Shamudi and Kelly to wrap up their discussion on bachelor nation in part 2 of "(Not) Here to Make Friends."

With season 18 of The Bachelorette wrapping up, and this being the first time this franchise has seen it’s final 4 contestants being Black Indigenous People of Colour, since its 2002 debut. It’s time to talk about why it took so long. Like it or not, reality tv, and media in general, plays such a large role in our lives and the Bachelor Franchise wields immense power with its Monday night monopoly. In this episode, Emma is joined by Shamudi and Kelly: two long-time friends and Bachelor fans, to talk about how deeply intertwined the roots of racism are into this franchise, what it means to continue watching, what it means from a larger perspective and where do allies go from here.

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Having a platform is a great responsibility. In our time of social media and influencers of all types, be it celebrities, politicians or even businesses, just about everyone has a presence. With great power comes great responsibility, and as consumers of this media, we vote with each and every follow or interaction. This week Amanda is back to join Emma to talk about the power of the Whitefluencer and how their silence contributes to upholding the status quo.

Have you ever had to ask yourself, “will they date me if I’m black?” “Can I talk about my culture without being mocked?” “Will they be open to trying my country’s cuisine?” These questions, and many like them, are just some of the things Black Indigenous People of Colour ask themselves when it comes to dating. Dating for BIPOC is filled with rejection, hurdles, unattainable beauty standards and racism, both implicit and explicit. So let’s get into this deeply personal topic with our guest, Tara, and have some fun exploring the ghost of dating past with your host, Emma. 

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Part of this work is listening to and hearing about others with different lived experiences. Racism is alive and well in Canada, and it is through listening to those who have different experiences that we can start to understand the duality of this country. In this episode, Emma is joined by Tobi and Tara, who share what it was like growing up in a small town in southern Ontario. 

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When talking about systemic racism, we often think about institutions like schools, the government, policing or banks. There are many other places in which BIPOC face disproportionate amounts of prejudice and discrimination, and in this episode, Emma is joined by Amanda of the blog: Amanda Glow Getter to talk about racism in healthcare. 

How young is too young to start talking about racism with children? That’s a tough question to answer. However, we are sure that racialized children begin to experience racism as early as they start school, if not sooner. In this episode of Beyond Black, Emma is joined by a special guest, Jacob, to talk about their experiences with racism in school.

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In this episode of Beyond Black, we begin the nuanced discussion of colourism through a personal lens as Emma answers the questions in the Mixed in America workbook.

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In this introductory episode of Beyond Black, Emma explores what it means to be an active ally and shares some practical things you can do to show your support. 

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In this special bonus episode of Beyond Black, Emma is joined by special guests Jacob and Taylor to discuss the upcoming federal election in Canada. They’ll be covering topics like Truth and Reconciliation, the climate crisis, police brutality, the housing crisis and more to help you explore ways to keep BIPOC in mind this election. 

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Beyond Black is a podcast for people learning how to become better allies to the BIPOC community. We’re going to explore how race intersects with various aspects of life and the flawed foundations underpinning the building blocks of our society. Together, we’re going to uncover what it means to go out there and do the work.