Down Home

As we close out this season, we’re reflecting on a powerful experience: our visit to A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada—a traveling exhibit that confronts…

De Costa and Le Jeaune stand as two of the earliest recorded figures in Black Canadian history—names that surface in the archives long before Canada was even Canada. Their stories…

In this episode Jay and I are diving into The Color of Fear, a 1993 documentary that brings together a group of men from different racial backgrounds for an unfiltered, and often u…

For this milestone episode, we’re turning the lens inward—getting as personal as it gets. This is who we are… literally. In this episode we’re breaking down our ancestral DNA—what…

In the early 20th century, behind the language of nation-building and progress, Canada quietly built barriers — policies designed not to include, but to exclude. In this episode, w…

It’s February 28th 1930, A biter cold night in Oakville Ontario Canada. The streets are quiet—still—until the sound begins. A Slow. Rhythmic. Sound of Boots striking pavement. 75 m…

One of the most powerful voices in twentieth-century literature and social commentary, James Baldwin spent his life confronting America with its deep contradictions surrounding eth…

Josephine Baker rose to international fame as a dancer, singer, and stage performer, dazzling audiences with her charisma and electric performances. But her story goes beyond the s…

When World War I ended, thousands of Black American soldiers faced a question that went beyond simply returning home. For many, the Great War had been a fight for freedom in more w…

Assata Shakur was a political activist who looked at a society built on inequality and chose resistance over silence. Her story is one of confrontation, exile, and survival—and it…

Arguably one of the most iconic recording artists of the 1950s and ’60s, Elvis Presley was a trailblazer—his voice, his movement, and his presence redefining popular music, earning…

While the Underground Railroad pointed north, there was another route to freedom—south into Mexico. After winning independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico passed what historians des…

In 1849, a Black man climbed into a wooden box—three feet long, two feet wide, and made his way to freedom twenty‑seven hours later.           #blackhistorymonth #canadianhistory #…

This episode is about time you can’t get back.
The silence of a prison cell when you know you don’t belong there.
A life put on pause—sometimes forever.
It’s about wrongful convict…

Today at the Down Home Podcast, we ask: What if the promise was kept? What if, after emancipation, Black Americans truly received 40 acres and a mule? What if the Black Loyalists —…

From Juneteenth in the U.S., to Emancipation Day in Canada, to the rhythm and colour of Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival — these celebrations go beyond the festivities. They mark freed…

Have you ever noticed how modern media often boxes Black people into narrow, repetitive roles? The angry or sassy Black woman. The criminal. The loyal sidekick. The athlete. The en…

In this episode, Derek and Jay explore predominantly Black towns that were deliberately wiped off the map       #TruthInHistory #ForgottenCommunities #BlackTownsMatter #ErasedHisto…

In the late 1950s, the NHL was a sport played entirely by white athletes. But on January 18, 1958, Willie O’Ree became the first Black player to skate in an NHL game. It takes a sp…

From the basketball court to the boxing ring, the soccer field to the tennis court, Black athletes have not only revolutionized their sports but also shaped global culture. These a…