The Week of March 29th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week “The world archives call this a trade, but my body remembers this as theft. My DNA remembers it as captivity and brutality. My DNA remembers its 2 million ancestors who died at sea, it remembers that before the ships and chains that we were whole, that our dignity was not something that we had to earn, but as something that we all already carried. It remembers our liberty, not as a colonial gift, but as our innate birthright.” Remarks by Shahaddah Jack, first Poet Laureate of Toronto, at the 75th plenary meeting of the 80th session of the General Assembly on the International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade.”

Image of Shahaddah Jack Spoken Word Artist. Human Rights Activist and Toronto's First Youth Poet Laureate

Image of three people sitting on an orange couch Hate the Player: Are Canadians Ready To Laugh About The Ben Johnson Story?

2026 Canadian Screen Awards NOMINEES BEST BIOGRAPHY OR ARTS DOCUMENTARY Ngardy Conteh George, Alison Duke BEST DIRECTION, DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM Alison Duke BEST WRITING, DOCUMENTARY Alison Duke BEST PICTURE EDITING, DOCUMENTARY Eugene Weis, CCE BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC, DOCUMENTARY Orin Isaacs BEST SOUND, DOCUMENTARY OR FACTUAL Michelle Irving, Jordan Guy, Elma Bello, Derek Brin BARBARA SEARS AWARD FOR BEST VISUAL RESEARCH Amy Fritz BARBARA SEARS AWARD FOR BEST EDITORIAL RESEARCH Jalana Lewis Bam Bam

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Transatlantic Slave Trade
2. Hate the Player: Ben Johnson
3. Bam Bam

h/t
@nestruck.bsky.social @francescabouaoun.bsky.social

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of March 22nd #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week “I am dripping in melanin and honey. I am Black without apology.” — Upile Chisala

Commotion What's behind the big reaction to a new South African video game? African gaming industry insider Oscar Michael Esio unpacks the conversation around Relooted CBC Arts · Posted: Mar 18, 2026 4:20 PM EDT | Last Updated: March 18 Text to Speech Icon Listen to this article Estimated 1 minute An animated woman runs, holding a mask in her hand. A screenshot of Relooted. (Courtesy of Nyamakop) Social Sharing XRedditLinkedInEmail In early February, South African gaming studio Nyamakop released its most anticipated title, Relooted. The heist game includes Afrofuturist themes where players are tasked to reclaim real African artifacts from Western museums.

A photo of a person sitting on top of a fridge Dewayne Perkins Presents “How Being Black & Gay Made Me Better Than You,” A One Man Comedic Experence Theatre '73 Toronto April 19th 7.30PM One Night Only!

Holding Space: How Underinvestment and Displacement Shape Toronto’s Black-Led Social Infrastructure January 2026

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Relooted
2. Dewayne Perkins Presents
3. Holding Space

h/t @uoftcities.bsky.social @elamin.bsky.social @tananarivedue.bsky.social

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying
medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of March 15th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week “Any 3D artists follow me? I got an Oscar worthy short film idea to go with this image. Get at me 😳” — Matthew A. Cherry Oscar Awards Winner 2020 — Best Animated Short Film ‘Hair Love’

nick_sweetman 'Before i left for Sacramento, I started a wall with @elicserelliott @scieter and @workingspy3000 and contributed this portrait of Mamie Till, the mother of Emmett Till, who was murdered at 14 by two white men in Mississippi in 1955. Emmett’s killers tortured him brutally and left his face so disfigured, his mother left the casket open for his funeral so that the world could see. That decision sparked such a forceful outcry that it mobilized Americans, black and white, to acknowledge and act out against racial violence and is considered one of the beginnings of the civil rights movement. Till’s murderers were acquitted and a year later in a magazine interview confessed to the crime without remorse. The story followed them for the rest of their lives and they were outcast from society, but they were free to roam wherever they pleased after confessing to literally getting away with murder. A memorial to Emmett Till was replaced last year with a thick bulletproof plate after multiple generations of memorials were riddled with bullet holes. This year, 2020, 65 years later 3 Louisville police officers broke into Breonna Taylor’s apartment under dubious assumptions and fired blindly into the walls of the apartment, killing her in her bed. The three men are still free today, though Mississippi taxpayers will be paying $12 million in restitution to Taylor’s family, represented in this mural by her mother Tamika Palmer. Thankfully, because of prolonged nationwide protests, there will be positive police reforms in Lousiville accompanying this tragedy, but the current President, the one who today failed to win re-election legally, has responded to the protests with indifference, violent rhetoric, and aggressive unconstitutional displays of force. ...There is much more work to do but hopefully now it will start. We cannot accept ignorance anymore from those in power. “Ignorance allied with power is the most ferocious enemy justice can have” James Baldwin'

Honouring William Peyton Hubbard: A commitment built for tomorrow Main Content William Peyton Hubbard portrait February 4, 2026 By Dr. Gervan Fearon, President, George Brown Polytechnic Names matter. Names shape culture. As a post-secondary institution, the names we choose for our spaces help define the learning experiences we deliver and elevate the diverse stories that shape who we are as an organization. That is why on February 5, 2026, we are officially naming the atrium of our Chef School, a vital gathering point at George Brown Polytechnic, in honour of a visionary leader and Toronto’s first elected Black politician, William Peyton Hubbard.

'It's a Black feminist 911 emergency.; Image of Daphne A. Brooks, Teyana Taylor and Wesley Morris

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. How the Police Killed Breonna Taylor
2. Honouring William Hubbard
3. Depictions of Black Women

h/t
@nytimes.com @chadstanton.blacksky.app

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of March 8th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week “But I am somebody. I am Black, Brown, or white. I speak a different language But I must be respected, Protected, Never rejected. I am God’s child!” Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. 2026 Edition

Image of De La Soul at NPR's Tiny Desk Concert

‘Hate The Player: The Ben Johnson Story’: Paramount+ Canada & GameTV Comedy About Controversial Canadian Sprinter Gets Trailer & Premiere Date By Jesse Whittock Jesse Whittock International TV Co-Editor @WhittockTweets More Stories By Jesse Banijay-All3Media Analysis: Mixed Moods Over $8B Mega-Merger As Euro Production Giant Seeks To Conquer World Amazon MGM Studios Appoints Warner Bros. Discovery’s Buddy Marini To Run Japan Banijay Entertainment Full-Year Revenue Dips With All3Media Merger On Horizon View All March 4, 2026 7:05am

Behind the Seams: Creative Belonging Image of Ruth E Carter

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. De La Soul: Tiny Desk Concert
2. Hate The Player: The Ben Johnson Story’
3. Ruth E. Carter

h/t @npr.org @deadline.com

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of March 1st #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week “Surround yourselves with uplifting energy and decolonize your bookshelves.” - Yolanda T. Marshall

BAFTAs controversy CBC Images of Syrus Marcus Ware and Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Yesterday, Dr. Itah Sadu received a Key to the City from Mayor Chow in recognition of her lifelong work as an author and cultural leader. Dr. Sadu is an acclaimed author of children's literature, whose work focuses on belonging and empowering Black children. She is also the co-owner of Different Booklist, a bookstore that spotlights African and Caribbean Canadian literature. Dr. Sadu is also the Managing Director of the Blackhurst Cultural Centre. For more on Dr. Sadu’s work and legacy: https://toronto.ca/news/mayor-olivia-chow-presents-key-to-the-city-to-dr-itah-sadu/ Image with Dr. Itah Sadu and Mayor Olivia Chow

Black Futures A series of programs using the lens of Afrofuturism to explore and present arts, dialogue and well-being at Hart House.

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. After BAFTAs backlash, what does accountability look like?
2. The Key to the City
3. Black Futures

h/t
@elamin.bsky.social @utoronto.ca

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of January 25th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week “If a change is gonna come, we must get loud,” Julian Taylor

Jesse Jackson on the set of Sesame Street. Photograph: Courtesy of Sesame Street

From Impact to Action Final report into anti-Black racism by the Toronto Police Service

Image of Cameron Bailey

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. ‘I am somebody’
2. From Impact To Action
3. Order of Ontario

h/t @pbs.org
Cc: @tps.ca

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of February 1st #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week “People told me it wasn’t a good idea for a girl to be a lawyer, particularly a coloured girl—so I went ahead,” - Violet King

"Black laughter isn’t just about trauma, but about joy, too – and it lights the way for us all The range and resilience of our laughter is a cultural inheritance of Black communities. But it can also model how we can all navigate collective uncertainty" - Image of Black children laughing while riding the subway

As It Happens Hip-hop icon Michie Mee is 'overjoyed' about getting her own Canadian stamp Michie Mee, Maestro Fresh Wes and trio Muzion featured on this year’s Black History Month stamps Sheena Goodyear · CBC Radio · Posted: Jan 24, 2026 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: January 24 A woman grins brightly as she poses on the red carpet in a long, flowing pink dress, a gold statement choker and matching bracelet, her curly black hair piled on top of her head and cascading to one side. Michie Mee, seen here at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, will be featured on a Canada Post stamp honouring trailblazers of Canadian hip-hop. (Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images)

New Brunswick New book created to get more comprehensive Black history into N.B. schools Jennifer Dow's Beyond Borders covers hundreds of years of Black history in province Oliver Pearson · CBC News · Posted: Jan 01, 2026 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: January 2 A woman sitting in a chair reading a book to an audience. Jennifer Dow is the author of Beyond Borders, a book about Black history in New Brunswick. (Aniekan Etuhube/CBC)

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Black Public Joy
2. Michie Mee Stamped
3. Black History in NB

h/t @jaypitter.bsky.social @govnb.bsky.social @theglobeandmail.com @susanamck.bsky.social

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

The Week of January 25th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week “I am free now and choose to remain so, ” Ona Judge, who escaped slavery from George and Martha Washington

Race and Ethnicity Philadelphia sues over removal of slavery exhibit at Independence National Historical Park 1 of 7 | Crews took explanatory panels off brick walls Thursday at the site of the presidential mansion where George and Martha Washington lived with the people they enslaved. Outraged critics are accusing President Donald Trump of “whitewashing history.” (AP Video: Tassanee Vejpongsa and Matt Rourke) By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and GRAHAM LEE BREWER Updated 7:17 PM EST, January 23, 2026 Leer en español

The Problem with Jon Stewart America's Caste System Image of Jon and Isabel Wilkerson AppleTV+

Image of Quentin VerCetty with the bust of Lincoln Alexander Born to Lead, Remembered in History Honouring Lincoln Alexander through art, public memory, and presence Black Opportunity Fund

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Removal of the slavery exhibit in Philadelphia
2. America's Caste System
3. Honouring Lincoln Alexander

h/t
@isabelwilkerson.bsky.social

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of January 18th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week “It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here.” ― James Baldwin

Halifax Regional Municipality Canada unveils theme for Black History Month 2026 in Cherry Brook, N.S. Announcement at Black Cultural Centre 'a powerful recognition,' says facility's CEO Yuan Wang · CBC News · Posted: Jan 08, 2026 1:48 PM EST | Last Updated: January 8 Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller, centre, announced the theme for 2026 Black History Month at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Cherry Brook, near Dartmouth. (Carolyn Ray/CBC News)

Deadline ‘Sinners’ Delroy Lindo Talks With Denzel Washington; Reflects On Early Career Advice, Eating Struggle Meals & Working With Ryan Coogler: “He’s An Incredibly Collaborative Spirit” By Destiny Jackson Destiny Jackson Awards Writer @DestinyDreadful More Stories By Destiny ‘Sinners’ Miles Caton Talks Sacrifice, What He Learned From Co-Stars & The Precipice of Stardom ‘The Chronology Of Water’ Duo Kristen Stewart & Imogen Poots On Feeling “F**king Lucky” For Making Audiences Think Again ‘Butterfly On A Wheel’ Filmmaker Trevor Morris Talks Putting Authenticity In Hopeful Neurodivergent Oscar-Shortlisted Tale View All December 18, 2025 10:38pm

This Texas County Is the Deadliest Place in the U.S. for Black Mothers to Give Birth by Monique Welch-Rutherford January 14, 2026 Moriah Ballard holds photos of her deceased infant son Denim provided by the hospital from a keepsake box that she received after his death in August 2019, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Houston. (Douglas Sweet Jr./Capital B News)

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. The theme for #BlackHistoryMonth
2. 'SINNERS' Chat
3. Black Mothers are dying

h/t @marcmillermp.bsky.social
@moniquewelch.bsky.social

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of January 11th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week “…Life is but a dream for a dark skin bitch like me Life gets dark when you’re dark like me…” — girl, get up. Doechii & SZA

Brown Centre for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America

CBC Dissing Doechii?

Black History Month Politics ‘That’s how you do it’: Black women in Ontario politics — past, present, and future What do we gain from having more Black women in politics, and why aren’t there as many as there could be? Ashley Okwuosa profile photo. Written by Ashley Okwuosa Feb 24, 2022 (Illustration by Chelsea Charles) Three BIPOC women behind a lectern on top of mountains shaped like male heads

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. “Misogynoir"
2. Dissing Doechii?
3. What do we gain from having more Black women in politics

h/t @moyazb.bsky.social @wearetvo.bsky.social

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

"The Week of January 4th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content with my kids this week "The sun does not ask permission to shine and neither do I.” - Erica Gerald Mason

Image of Bryan Stevenson "Mr. Stevenson is a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated, and the condemned."

An individual standing at a lecture in front of a seated audience

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Graphic Novelist Jimmy Suzan
2. Equal Justice Initiative's Bryan Stevenson
3. @utoronto.ca's I. Augustus Durham

h/t @onthemedia.bsky.social

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

#Amplifying because neologisms are a suitable way to ring in the New Year. A couple of terms have emerged in replies to the OP, but we’ll see what sticks

The Week of December 28th Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week #Hearthis “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” - Marcus Garvey

A child embracing their father Hair Love Full short film

An illustration of a child in a red snow suit Ezra Jack Keats The Snowy Day An Animated Story Book

A clip of a video showing a child in motion with a mother holding a carton of milk, a loaf of bread, and a stick of butter.

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
2. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
3. I Can Remember by Jim Simon

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of December 14th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content With My Kids This Week

Jason Parham The Big Story Dec 17, 2025 6:00 AM DEI Died This Year. Maybe It Was Supposed To I’m a Black staffer at WIRED. My position feels more precarious than ever. There’s a reason for that. Image may contain Formal Wear Clothing Suit Adult Person Coat Accessories Tie Bag Advertisement Jacket and Poster ILLUSTRATION: TINA TONA; GETTY IMAGES

Tennis Canadian tennis star Victoria Mboko named WTA top newcomer in 2025 Winning National Bank Open in Montreal was 19-year-old's season highlight The Canadian Press · Posted: Dec 15, 2025 4:11 PM EST | Last Updated: December 15 Canadian tennis player Victoria Mboko in action against Cristina Bucsa of Spain during the women’s final at the Hong Kong Open on November 2, 2025 in China. Montreal’s Victoria Mboko won a WTA title in Hong Kong in November, claimed four consecutive ITF World Tennis Tour titles early in the year and advanced to the third round at the French Open. ( Marcio Machado/Getty Images)

As 2025 comes to a close, I’m continuing a tradition that I started during my time in the White House: sharing my annual lists of favorite books, movies, and music. I hope you find something new to enjoy — and please send any recommendations for me to check out! 2025 Barack Obama's Favorite Music Nice to Each Other — Olivia Dean Luther — Kendrick Lamar & SZA TaTaTa — Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott JUMP — BLACKPINK Faithless — Bruce Springsteen Pasayadan — Ganavya 99 — Olamidé ft. Daecolm, Seyi Vibez, Asake, & Young Jonn Pending — Lil Naay & Myke Towers Sexo, Violencia y Llantas — Rosalía Metal — The Beths Abracadabra — Lady Gaga just say dat — Gunna The Giver — Chappell Roan Aurora — Mora & De La Rose Silver Lining — Laufey No More Old Men — Chance the Rapper & Jamila Woods Bury Me — Jason Isbell I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again — Stacey Kent Never Felt Better — Everything is Recorded ft. Sampha & Florence Welch Please Don’t Cry — Kacy Hill Stay — ROE In the Name of Love — Victoria Noelle Ancient Light — I’m With Her Vitamina — Jombriel, DFZM & Jøtta Float — Jay Som ft. Jim Adkins Ordinary — Alex Warren Sycamore Tree — Khamari NOKIA — Drake En Privado — Xavi & Manuel Turizo Not In Surrender — Obongjayar

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. DEI Died This Year
2. Victoria Mboko named WTA top newcomer in 2025
3. @barackobama.bsky.social favorites for 2025

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

h/t @wired.com

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of December 14th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content With My Kids This Week

Painting of Lucie and Thornton Blackburn embracing in a sea of gold and silver fish The Blackburns 48 x 60 in Oil on Canvas

1883 Illustration mocking Black sleigh-riders

Image of Mattea Roach and Brandon Taylor "Minor Black Figures Brandon Taylor

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. The Blackburns
2. Can a Black artist ever make art for art’s sake?
3. “Jingle Bells” Was Written by a Racist to Mock Black People

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of December 7th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content With My Kids This Week

Image of Santa in orange silhouette Annual Black Santa Dec 7th, 2025 2pm to 5pm

CBC Remembering RapCity Image of an anthropomorphic dog holding a boom box

Trump administration alters national parks' free-entry days, cutting MLK Day and Juneteenth The change is part of a broader shift in the National Park Service's free-entry day schedule, which includes adding President Donald Trump's birthday. MLK Jr. Day was previously designated as an entry fee-free day to visit National Parks.Samuel Corum / Getty Images file

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Black Santa at Old’s Cool General Store
2. RapCity's 35th anniversary
3. Trump alters national parks' free-days, cutting MLK Day & Juneteenth

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of November 30th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content With My Kids This Week

London Meet the people launching one of Canada's first Black Studies majors The program was years in the making, according to the people who helped make it happen CBC News · Posted: Nov 23, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: November 24 Text to Speech Icon Listen to this article Estimated 3 minutes Erica Lawson is an associate professor of gender, sexuality and women's studies at Western University. Erica Lawson is an associate professor of gender, sexuality and women's studies at Western University. (Alessio Donnini/CBC)

OYA Black Arts Coalition names first executive director By Kelly Townsend 5 days ago Kadon Douglas has joined the not-for-profit charity dedicated to training and mentorship for Black creatives.

Parliamentarian Donald Oliver was the first Black man to sit in Canada’s Senate After experiencing discrimination while growing up in Nova Scotia, he became a strong voice against anti-Black racism and was hailed as a ‘courageous trailblazer’ Bianca Thompson Published October 6, 2025

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Major in Black Studies @westernu.ca
2. OYA Black Arts Coalition's new ED Kadon Douglas
3. Obituary for Senator Donald Oliver

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 23RD #HEARTHIS SHARING 3 PIECES OF BLACK SPECIFIC CONTENT WITH MY KIDS THIS WEEK 2025 EDITION

Kitchener-Waterloo 'Make history visible': Mural to honour Black community of Queen's Bush Settlement Carmen Groleau • CBC News • Posted: Nov 17, 2025 11:09 AM EST | Tracy Lee Johnson is a member of the Queen's Bush Settlement Advisory Committee. She is also a descendent of the settlement. (Aastha Shetty/CBC)

VOX PRESS ROOM Astead W. Herndon Joins Vox as Host and Editorial Director by Vox Communications Oct 16, 2025, 7.05 AM EDT Vox®

Image of Amanda Paris FOR THE CULTURE with Amanda Parris SEASON 2 WORLD PREMIERE Thursday, Nov 27th 7:00PM Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema Free tickets available now sponsored by OBAC

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Mural to honour Black community of Queen’s Bush Settlement
2. Astead W. Herndon Joins Vox
3. For The Culture Season 2 with Amanda Parris

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

#amplifying

THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 16TH #HEARTHIS SHARING 3 PIECES OF BLACK SPECIFIC CONTENT WITH MY KIDS THIS WEEK

Local Climate Heroes Underrepresent Perspectives Unique Solutions A short-fim featuring CEED Canada Image of woman wearing glasses

LIMITED- EDITION Prince library card Prince playing a guitar

KNOWLEDGE Caffé Mercedes Sobers

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Local Climate Heroes
2. Celebrate Prince w/ a Limited-Edition Library Card
3. Black joy & mental health research

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

h/t @uoftcities.bsky.social
medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9TH #HEARTHIS SHARING 3 PIECES OF BLACK SPECIFIC CONTENT WITH MY KIDS THIS WEEK

Images of voter booths Essence PAINT THE POLLS BLACK Black Women Make History in 2025 Elections: New Mayors Elected Across Detroit, Albany, Charlotte, and Conyers

YOUR VOICE SHARE Join our focus groups to share your experiences in public art. Sessions run Nov-Dec 2025 (in-person + online). Paid participation. CALL FOR Help reimagine an equitable future in public art. Sign up to learn more! BLACK ARTISTS

The John Seltzer and Mark Seltzer Memorial Lecture Reclaiming Black Memory, Forging Black Possibilities: A Conversation with Melissa J. Nelson Aaron Francis Tura Cousins Wilson and Shane Laptiste Images of all of the participants

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Paint The Polls BLACK
2. Call for Black Artists
3. Reclaiming Black Memory, Forging Black Possibilities

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

h/t @utoronto.ca

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

Goood moournings #doomisphere 🤗

"It is also worth noting that wealthy nations, for their part, are not nearly as immune from the #amplifying and #cascading #impacts of a warming climate as Bill Gates seems to believe either.

⚠️ 🧶 😅
1•14

The Week of November 2nd #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Content With My Kids This Week

Nova Scotia One year later, no charges laid after Ku Klux Klan costumes worn to Halloween party Some calling on Nova Scotia to ban symbols of hate from public spaces Erin Pottie · CBC News · Posted: Oct 31, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 31 Cape Breton fire dept. apologizes after 4 people dress as KKK at dance October 28, 2024 | Duration5:51 It happened at a Halloween dance at the North Sydney Firefighters Club. Jason MacLean, the son of a retired firefighter who worked at the fire station, says the apology alone isn't good enough.

A crowd of people in the background with two people holding up Jean-Michel Basquiat Way sign Jean-Michel Basquiat Gets a Manhattan Street

Image of a person smiling and laughing Reporting in Black Communities Symposium Saturday, February 26, 2026 The Catalyst, Toronto Metropolitan University 8:30 AM 5:00 PM Register Now: Reportingblack.com/events

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Who dresses up as a member of the Ku Klux Klan?
2. Growing Up w/ Jean-Michel Basquiat | I Was There
3. Reporting in Black Communities Symposium

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying
medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

TheWeek of October 26th #HearThis Sharing 3 Peices of Black Content With My Kids This Week 2025 Edition

A Letter to my Son Vlad Jr. Image of Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Sr.

‘Letterkenny’ Producer On ‘Hate The Player: The Ben Johnson Story’: “What If We Look At This As ‘I Tonya’ Meets ‘Eastbound & Down’” By Stewart Clarke October 22, 2025 7:14am Still from Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story Shamier Anderson in 'Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story' New Metric Media The 100m final at the 1988 Olympic Games has been dubbed the dirtiest race in history, which may not seem obvious ground for comedy. Yet, New Metric Media has taken on the challenge with Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story. “We’re a comedy company first and foremost with Letterkenny and Shoresy and whatnot,” says New Metric founder Mark Montefiore. Having decided comedy was the way into the story “the initial idea was, what if we look at this as I Tonya meets Eastbound & Down” he adds.

The New York Times Oprah Leads the Charge at Misty Copeland’s Farewell The trailblazing ballerina returned to the stage after five years for one final performance at a gala for American Ballet Theater. Image of Oprah and Misty Copeland

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. A Letter From Vlad Guerrero to Vlad Jr. #WantItAll
2. Hate The Player: The Ben Johnson Story
3. Misty Copeland's Farewell

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

h/t @deadline.com
medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of October 19th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content With My Kids This Week

Black samurai Yasuke (Image credit: Ubisoft) While some of the game was meant to take place during the Civil War itself, the bulk of it would've been set during the Reconstruction era, the decade-plus that immediately followed. While Reconstruction was intended to address matters like granting citizenship to former slaves and reintegrating former Confederate states into a restored United States, the process faced furious and often violent resistance from whites in the south, which ultimately undermined it; Reconstruction was formally ended in 1877, leading to a resurgence of white supremacy and violent repression and disenfranchisement of Blacks in the American south.

CBC Who is this play for? Image of Elamin Abdelmahmoud with actors on stage in the background

Montreal Élections Montréal criticized for low-quality, featureless photos of Black candidates Black-and-white photos of candidates appear on Élections Montréal website as part of pilot project Sharon Yonan-Renold · CBC News · Posted: Oct 14, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 14 phone with photo next to photo Transition Montréal candidate Carol-Ann Hoyte shows her photo on Élections Montréal's website on Oct. 8 compared to her campaign poster. The website's image has since been adjusted. (CBC)

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content w/ my kids this week.

1. Assassin’s Creed
2. Slave Play
3. Photos of Black people

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

h/t @stephentotilo.bsky.social @transitionmontreal.bsky.social @ilanalucas.bsky.social medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

#amplifying

The Week of October 12th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content With My Kids This Week

‘Reading Rainbow’ Comes Back With a New Host, but the Same Mission The popular children’s television show has returned, with Mychal Threets trying to recapture the magic of the original show for a streaming audience. Mychal Threets, a librarian who built a large following on social media, is the host of a new version of the children’s show “Reading Rainbow.”Credit...Marissa Leshnov for The New York Times Alisha Haridasani Gupta By Alisha Haridasani Gupta Oct. 4, 2025

Arts Celebrating the late, great drag pioneer Michelle Ross Filmmaker Alison Duke chats about her new documentary on the legendary Ross Peter Knegt · CBC Arts · Posted: Oct 09, 2025 2:15 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 9 Alison Duke on the set of Here & Queer. (CBC Arts)

Image of a Black Female in gold silhouette "Year 5 Highlights We Back Black. Black Opportunity Fund"

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. ‘Reading Rainbow’ Comes Back
2. Drag pioneer Michelle Ross
3. Black Opportunity Fund 2025 Annual Impact Video

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

h/t @btpublicmedia.bsky.social medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of October 5th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content With My Kids This Week

Ottawa Sens prospect proudly dons durag on ice Djibril Touré went viral after scuffle exposed his close-fitting cloth David Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Sep 20, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: September 20 Ottawa Senators prospect breaks the ice — and the internet — for wearing durag under his helmet September 20 A video of Djibril Touré wearing a durag under his helmet in a prospect game went viral online. It's being hailed as a first and while the NHL’s stance on durags is unclear, the Ottawa Senators are supporting it. Touré hopes it inspires others.

Nikole Hannah-Jones 'The Backlash Was Coming' Cannonball with Wesley Morris

Image of Mary Manning "Mary Manning, Dunnes Stores striker My connection to South Africa"

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. The Durag, Explained
2. Nikole Hannah-Jones on '1619'
3. Ireland's connection to South Africa

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

h/t @nytimes.com @davidnihill.bsky.social medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of Sept 28th #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content With My Kids This Week

Image of a VHS cassette tape on top of magnetic tape The Incrediable Story of Marion Stokes, Who Single-Handedly Taped 35 Years of TV News From 1977 to 2012, she recorded 140,000 VHS tapes worth of history. Now the Internet Archive has a plan to make them public and searchable. by Sarah Kessler

Yale Engineering Image of an animated Black face with textured hair

Newfoundland and Labrador Laurabel MBA NDP Candidate for Mount Scio Image of her against an orange background

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Marion Stokes
2. Yale Engineering & Animating Black Hair
3. 1st Black candidate to run provincially in N.L.

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

h/t @prettydarke.bsky.social

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...

The Week of Sept 21st #HearThis Sharing 3 Pieces of Black Specific Content With My Kids This Week

Image of Camryn Rogers "Canada's Camryn Rogers wins her 2nd world champion title in hammer throw"

Mustafa: Tiny Desk Concert September 3, 2025 Elle Mannion Image of Mustafa Credit: Photo: Grace Rave

Rouge History PBS Image of the statue of Thomas Peters

#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week.

1. Camryn Rogers winning gold in Tokyo
2. Mustafa: Tiny Desk Concert
3. The Founding Father They Don’t Teach You About

I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying

h/t
@npr.org @pbs.org

medium.com/@lanrickbenn...