Nadia Thompson: Delving into Black History Month

This podcast was recorded on the ancestral lands on Treaty One territory, the traditional territory of the Anishnawbe, Cree, Oji Cree, Dakota, and the Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis nation.

This is Humans, On Rights. A podcast advocating for the education of human rights.

Here's your host Stuart Murray.

I'm thrilled and delighted to be joined by Nadia Thompson who's the executive Director of Black History Manitoba.

It's the title change.

It was Black History Month to Manitoba.

We'll talk a little bit about that.

I'm thrilled and delighted to to welcome you.

Welcome Nadia.

How are you?

I am so fantastically wonderful.

I appreciate you having me on.

This is gonna be great when you're not volunteering your heart out for the Black History Manitoba committee.

What do you do every day?

So my, my daily, when I don't put on my volunteer case, I am a scheduling click for the downtown west home care nurses office.

Um I have been working with the W.R.

H.

A for almost 10 years now and these, these nurses that I work with are just amazing.

They're just brilliant at what they do.

Um, kudos to them inside this pandemic and out.

I've always been inspired and humbled by what they do.

So I'm just a part of a team and it's a, it's a great job.

I I really enjoy what I do.

So with Covid.

Um Nadia, it must have has or has had sort of an impact on how you would normally or maybe it doesn't, I'm not sure has it changed the way that you schedule or focus or work with frontline workers?

Um No, it doesn't really change it, it just makes it a little bit more um We have to work a little harder.

There's once when we were really in the big um the kind of muscle of it, there was a lot of hesitation, there was a lot of worry um from both sides, from our client side, our patients side and from our nursing side, just because it was just the unknown about it was hard for everybody and it took a toll.

Um And we were it's it's great to have that kind of a motivation to want to do what you do, but I know that we've seen all the different aspects from the doctors and the nurses and the counselors and everybody that works in health care, how it affected them so much um to have to watch those nurses on a daily basis go out there um and risk their health because that's just the dedication that they gave to the job as being a nurse.

That's what I mean when I say I'm humbled by the work that they do.

Um Our office staff is fantastic and I and I think in some ways we kind of got left behind because you're talking about the health care workers and you're talking about the cleaning staff and you're talking about the nurses and the doctors, us administrations, administrative staff.

We did a lot.

Um and we worked really hard to make sure that things flowed really well as the pandemic got, um, is here and we still do it now.

Um, so all my other administrative office people, um, kudos to you and hats off and I appreciate you.

Um, it's not a great, um, not the most rewarding job, but we do it because we love it well.

And you know, just on that note, so many unsung heroes in this, right.

Um, and, and thanks for giving a shout out to them.

I I just want to say that from a, from a scheduling coordinating standpoint, having watched you with your team and I get it.

But having watched you sort of quarterback, the launch of black History Month, uh, the other night was spectacular.

So, you know, it's in your genes, you've got to be great at it.

So fantastic and kudos to you.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

So Nadia, let's, let's dive in for a second.

That you know, february is black history month and it is a month where I get sort of, I don't know, it's dedicated to take the opportunity to celebrate.

And I'm going to come back to the words celebrate in a moment, but to celebrate the progress richness and diversity of achievements and contributions of blacks in Canada and around the world.

So I'm going to kind of repeat this because it put it in a question to you, Nadia, how did black history month start?

And do you feel that it is achieving the words that are meant to celebrate the progress, the richness and diversity and achievements and contributions of blacks in Canada.

When we talk about how black history month started, um, it started as a week and once that week had started, I think the powers that be at the time just recognize that we are so much more because of all the things that take place and that's again around the world, it was just not enough.

And because we want to as a people continue to focus on the fact that we are not marginalized.

We are just as important as other ethnicities of other cultures.

And we wanted to broaden that.

So when it went to a month, um, it wasn't recognized everywhere And then, and I believe it was, it wasn't really recognized from Parliament Here in Canada until 83.

So that is a big win for us.

But at the same time it shouldn't have taken that long.

And that's where we kind of always go back to the fact where we have to use our voice to recognize us as a community as a culture and not as a month.

We've had some discussions regarding that factor.

I'll go back to a story where I went to an event at the University of Manitoba.

This would have been probably about maybe seven or eight years ago and we spoke to a group there and a lot of that group was young immigrant students that are here from the continent of Africa and they had talked about, you know, they don't celebrate Black History month and it was a good conversation to have because it's a different perspective to get and I'm always open to different perspectives.

I like to hear how you feel about what's happening and they basically said, you know what, it's a celebration put on by others to kind of make themselves feel better about celebrating black.

And I and I understood that I may not have agreed with that, but I understood that kind of perception of it, but I wanted to change their mind about that perception.

I wanted to give them a different focus, just like they were giving me a different perspective.

So I spoke to them about taking that opportunity because we have that platform and using it to our advantage.

And I think that's how black History month came about with some people thinking that this is something that we need to do for our people to scream and shout from the rooftops that we've made an effect on history, we need to be acknowledged, well spoken well said, but to sort of keep going down that path for a second Nadia, you now have and I believe this is the 40th anniversary of black History month and you've made a decision collectively, the community has made a decision to call it black History Manitoba, why is that important?

Um it's it's important for several reasons.

And I think the first reasoning was because when we talked about what we do as a committee, we've always focused and I I should say for the last several years we have focused on not putting ourselves in that box of february and we want to make sure that we recognize the fact that we are making history every day.

We are doing things um within this world and within the society that make a difference and we do it all the time.

So the fact that we have a month to celebrate what we've done, it's kind of like you're celebrating what you've done throughout the year in this particular month.

Um I kind of sometimes I I had made an analogy to a birthday but I think a better analogy would be to a marriage.

You have your wedding anniversary where you celebrate the day you got married, but you're working on and doing things within your marriage all the time.

So it's your marriage is important every day, but you celebrate on that one day.

So we've taken a month to celebrate what we do as a community as a people and it's it's we should be proud of that, but we also need to focus on the fact that it is not just february alone that we need to focus on and by making that change because somebody made it made it really great.

He said that he was looking for some information regarding black history in Winnipeg, but he didn't think to contact us because we were specific black history month and it was not Black History month when he was looking for the information and he made the assumption that we were not um functioning during that month that he was looking for somebody and that was kind of the lightbulb moment when we said you know what, we have to make this change and we have to do it now and because we have so many different organizations and partnerships outside of Winnipeg, it just made sense to change our name to represent our province and not just our city.

Yeah, That's a great move and it's well done and the timing is right at the 40th anniversary, I mean it's fantastic.

So you know, sort of well done to you, the community and a great launch on, on Black History Manitoba.

What's the history of like the black community are getting established in the province of Manitoba.

What caused some of the immigrants, the black immigrants to settle in Manitoba.

Where did they come from?

And just give me a sense of maybe where they settled in what time frame we might be talking about um when we're thinking about time frame, I think when they came from the maritimes, I think most of that integration was in more like the thirties, forties and fifties and then there was a time in the 60s and 70s where there was an upbringing of Caribbean, west indian people's because of the work.

They had a lot of programming back then that was geared to work and school and even Going into the 80s and 90s.

The schooling is what is a big draw to come here from other countries because we have a great educational system here in Manitoba, we have options and the price that to, to get your education here is on the, the lower side which is achievable for for some of those families that don't have all this money to spend on their child's education, but they do want them to have the best that they can get and and Manitoba is one of the highest when it comes to the um secondary education.

So a lot of that migration has come and I believe if I'm and I'm pleased I if I am incorrect, I don't believe I am, but Manitoba is either the first or second highest migration population in Canada.

So we've got a great catalyst where people care about Winnipeg.

Um, and Manitoba like Brandon um for schools and that's where they come.

Excellent, So great shout out to the teachers in the education system now, do you really appreciate that?

I think it's very well said, what what timeframe would we be talking about?

What can you recall or do you have a sense of, what time would some of the first immigrants landed in Manitoba?

And again I am not the best history Executive director.

You're not a historian.

I get it.

I know I Still learning all the time.

So if I am correct and I know it's in 1930 I want to say it was 1939 was the first early 19 hundreds just to say, you know right.

I mean because I mean this isn't a quiz.

It's really just an opportunity to learn so and and it but it's always interesting right?

Because Winnipeg is sort of the big city in this province.

I mean yes Brandon and Portage.

There's a lot of great cities.

It's not the the point is is that typically people came on the railway a railroad and they you know they got off where in Winnipeg.

And so look at the city, let's settle here.

Did most of the immigrants from those countries settled in Winnipeg or did some of them go around the province or from, are you aware of that?

What I can recall a majority.

It was right in Winnipeg being because most of the the opportunities that were out there was Winnipeg based now you have way more outside of Winnipeg but it's still the hub of it would be Winnipeg.

Yeah, fair comment.

So Nadia when we talk about things like the you know black history Manitoba.

What are some of the communities that make up that black community in Manitoba.

Oh my goodness.

And I love this because when I worked I volunteered with program as well.

And I was the ambassador of the adult ambassador a couple years back and one of the questions they asked was what makes up this, so this pavilion.

And I was like okay, I got to study this, I gotta see.

But I've been I've been there for so long that I think I've got I've gotten pretty good at it.

Let's do it, let's do it.

Here's the question.

Okay, this time I'm going to go from from from home first from the heart.

So Jamaica is obviously a big Jamaican population here.

There's also Barbados, there's Trinidad and Tobago dominica, there's ST kids saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Um there's Haiti, there's Diana, there's Antigua.

There is, listen, I you know what Nadia I have to say um I don't have a prize but if I did, you're getting it.

I mean that's spectacular.

I don't know, it's that's great.

But I mean the importance is you're showing the incredible diversity which it is an incredibly diverse community and the fact that they all come together now under sort of the banner of Black History Manitoba, I think it's fantastic.

So if we were just the Caribbean side, we haven't even no, no listen, go listen, come on.

You know, I'm not even gonna go there.

Okay, alright, okay.

But I will stay and then and that's not to downplay any of the african countries but our our Nigerian Brothers and sisters have been very humbly involved are Ethiopian um the I I don't want to put anybody out, but those ones are, you know, it's it's we have a wide array from our African community and of course, I just want to shout them out as well.

The groups that that take it upon themselves to make the changes in the city, they're they're amazing.

Um there are a large group, they're multifunctional and and the Partnership that we have, we really cherish that because working together is the only real way that we can make this happen, so we appreciate them.

100%.

Yeah, and I mean, look, I I apologize if I kind of put you on the spot there, I mean, you know, it's like you know, sort of who came to your wedding, it's like uh well I can go alphabetically, but I'm not, you know, you're gonna forget somebody, so, you know, thanks for sharing.

But I just think what you did really well was to kind of give the depth and the breadth and the number of countries that are represented.

So I appreciate that um natty, if we were to start talking about, you know, some of the um members of the black community who have had an impact on the city or the province and I mean there's a lot of them and then this is again one of these things where it's not a matter of to get the entire list, but just from your perspective, this is all about you and your perspective, natty, who would you sort of give a shout out to?

Well, um I have to go by the fact that one thing I'll say for sure is that I've been doing this a long time, the fact that I engulf myself in this community is not for everybody, but it just was where I felt the most comfortable and the most at ease to be myself.

So there's been a lot and a lot of people that I've met and I've shared opportunities with.

Um, but I'm gonna focus on some of the people that, especially the ones that are on this committee and I say still on this committee, I'm gonna have to start at the top.

Miss Mavis McLaren um has known me for for a number of years, I'm teen years, what we say, I met her back when there was a time where Children would go to certain events and just to go see santa and I think that was the first time I had met her at an association christmas party.

Um, and then I started dancing for the Jamaican association and the story just goes from there.

Um she's always been such a promoter of what we do in our community.

Um such a hard worker, she has that teacher mentality, she's a retired teacher and just the, the giving nous of her time without question is one of her greatest attributes and I just adore her, she's, I can say that she's my mentor, she has been just always by my side, always cheering me on and encouraging me to do what I do.

So I I that's where I'll start.

Yeah, and that's a great place to start.

She's she is fantastic and we have members like dr Milton Chambers, reverend doctor who has also been an intricate part of my, my world and my being and shaping.

He's always been inspiring as to the fact that no matter what obstacle is put in his way, he always makes it work and hard work pays off and is also the contributions to this community has has been overwhelming and there there is no amount of awards or kudos you can give people like these two who have dedicated their lives to this community again.

He was very instrumental and on on on the launch that you did Black History, black history of Manitoba.

Um and of course you had um I was very fortunate to get the order of Manitoba and there's another person that got the order of Manitoba dr june James who I also know she's spectacular, I mean amazing.

Uh and you know, I would just say that the one constant Nadia and I'm going to kind of beat you to it because I know you would bring up his name for sure, but and he's no longer with us, but you know, weight coach, joe Williams when I was in politics, I met him and talk about a force, I mean, I don't know what other word to sort of say it, I mean just a force.

I adored him and um, you know, I learned so much from him.

Uh, we we we had an event once at the Jamaican Cultural Center and I arrived a bit early and so I just said, hey, do you need some help setting up chairs?

And he was like, you're gonna help me set up chairs.

I said, I'm here, man, like let's let's do this.

And I think, you know, that day on, we always had a great, a great relationship, but you know, we've been, we've been very blessed with some first right, Like Devon Clooney's correct.

Yeah, and you're absolutely correct.

Mr Williams had such the spirit that came out of him and what he did and how he spoke, um made you want to listen and made you not want to miss anything because you know, if you miss something, he's going to call you out and say you missed it, right, um, um, it to him and to his family.

Um, we, we always want to say thank you for, for everything that they have done um and we want to make sure that we continue to keep that memory and that legacy going because in in the grand scheme of things, we don't think we don't know if we would be here and doing what we did, if it wasn't for him.

Um, as the foundation of what we do even in this city, not only as a Black History month celebration committee, but as black people in this city we have more than respect is way overdue.

Um, to let him know and I hope that he's somewhere um, you know, listening and seeing and applauding and saying, you know, this is what I wanted, but we're nowhere close to where we need to be.

But we're we're making our, we're paving the way we're still going and we want to make sure that his memory is remembered and his mission is still is still going.

So, so it's a race that's that will won't be done anytime soon.

So and I'd have to say, you know, nowadays, just again, just watching and having been involved in a few launches of or attending some events with Black History month when I was in politics and and now watching what you launched Black History Manitoba, certainly his name came up again and again.

So that that memory is they're alive and well.

And as you say, he's either reminding somebody that they didn't say something quite right or they need to be corrected or he's applauding like crazy.

So one or the other, you know, and, and we could go on Nadia, I know that there's some first elected members and you had one of them speak at at at black history, the launch of black history Manitoba.

Uh she was amazing.

Audrey Gordon is one of the first elected women of color to go into cabinet.

Uh you know Marcus Chambers of course, you know there's a lot of leaders in the black community and I would like to at some point uh kind of bring this around to the leader in the black community that I'm talking to and that's that's you Nadia.

Um uh you know, I'd like to get a sense from you, what was it like growing up as a woman of color in the city of Winnipeg, give me a sense of that experience.

Where did you live, where did you go to school?

Where did Nadia Thompson feel?

I always say this and I get to travel a lot and I get to talk some sometimes I get to talk about myself and I hope everybody is aware that I always make sure everybody knows that I'm from Winnipeg, I'm I'm proud of being from here.

I grew up in the north end for most of my childhood and then I moved to uh save Patel and that's why I spanish my junior and high school, I think what it was and I have to give of course all the praise to my parents for raising us.

I have a sister and a brother raising us to be aware of our differences and who, that everybody is special, that nobody is b above anybody else and that we can all get along in this world and we can all learn from each other are our neighbors were Filipino on one side.

Portuguese on the other side and and we, we all hung out.

It was back in the day where you, you went outside and played until the street lights came on, so I don't want to age myself, but but you know, walking to school together and and just playing outside and just meeting people.

I think that is the part of my childhood and growing up that I always seem to harbor.

I I like meeting new people.

I I find people interesting.

I am actually really shy.

You might not believe that that I find hard to believe Nadia, but let's you're saying it will go with it, this is this is your show, we'll go with it.

I honestly, I am, I would be more of a listener than a talker if I if I could.

But of course when I'm passionate about something and I believe in something I will definitely speak up and and share growing up my, you know, I got the opportunity to grow up with my best friend, my I have a twin.

So she um and I have done a lot in majority even in our adult life, we've done a lot together, you know, we had our kids together, we work together, we've done a lot together and she's just as passionate about the community as I am.

We, we have our different gifts and, and but together we make a great team by traveling, being open and taking opportunities when they come and under being an understanding person I think I think is the qualities that it takes to do what what I do.

Like I said, I like to listen.

I'm, I'm a, I'm a good reader, I like to read.

And I think that even the big thing is a traveling thing.

If anybody has any opportunity to travel, please travel, it makes such an impact on who you are by seeing how others are.

I think that's a great point.

I mean I think I always say that, you know, I'm not here to challenge academic education, which is so important.

But but traveling is another great, another form of great education as you, as you would say.

So Nadia, let me ask you as you're growing up in the city of Winnipeg in the north end.

When did you first get a sense that you were experiencing racism?

To answer that question.

I probably would have to say that I was bullied before I was rationalized.

Like I went to school with everybody else and I had a really great childhood.

I can't necessarily say that I as a child or as a young person that I've actually dealt with any overt racism.

I think though it was more of a bullying and you know by being different because people would point out the fact that I I was one of very few black women, black girls at the time, but it wasn't necessarily from a hateful point of view, it was more of a they're ignorant because they don't understand that people are different because we would have somebody an east indian or aboriginal and they would have they would find the same kind of way to point them out and make sure that they're noticed what I call it at that time.

I probably didn't think of it as racism.

Probably looking back at it now, you can kind of put that under the same column, but it was different then because it wasn't the way that the society is now where it's racism is so in your face and when they say it and when they feel it and when they do it, you know, and you feel that I didn't at that time, I would say that one of the challenges, you know, is that we do now have systemic racism where we talk about it openly clearly it was there before.

But to your point Nadia, you sort of felt it might have been more bullying yet.

It was something that was marginalizing you in terms of you being a citizen of the city of Winnipeg and your experience there, did you?

And I don't I don't want to spend a lot of time on this because I really you're a bridge builder but I I just think that for somebody who is so passionate you know and we are talking about systemic racism on on you and I are fortunate I'm fortunate I'm fortunate to sit on a committee with you to be sure to talk about that and what does that mean and act on it.

But I just would love your your thoughts when you talk about the issue around systemic racism.

You know, was I guess in 2020 where the world was witness to a murder alive on television with George Floyd and and so that had such a profound impact on on so many I'll just say white privileged people and others.

I mean so many how did you see that?

And I want to be very clear because my standpoint on this may not be popular.

The fact that Mr Floyd's death is like this kind of it was like a time bomb and he was the bomb.

Everything that's been happening prior to him, it has been happening as a people, as a community, we've been there, we've seen it, we've done it, this is not new.

So that's the part where it in a way it's frustrating because yeah, your eyes are open now but why were they closed before when Trayvon martin was killed that same thing he was are innocent boy that was murdered and yeah we felt something but not to that extent of Mr Floyd, I'm not understanding really why that's a question for you to ask yourself, but we've been dealing with systematic racism for hundreds of years.

It's hard for me to say this was a win for us by having all of these allies now.

And everybody's kind of woke for for that's the term.

Now.

There should have been awake and an awakening a long time ago.

We chatted a bit about this.

Uh you know, I mentioned the fact that, you know Billie Holiday, who in the late fifties, you know, wrote and sang a song called Strange Fruit, which was all about men of color being hung in the States.

That was I mean, we didn't have social media get it, but, you know, as you said, so, well, Nadia, this isn't something that's just happened.

And so it is such an emotional conversation because it had clearly when you look at the outpouring of support for Black Lives for Justice, or Justice for Black lives that took place here in Manitoba, um probably unprecedented in many ways.

Um but but you know, sort of the the hope is and I would I would love to get your sense on what do you think the next steps are to to sort of deal with this systemic racism.

I mean, and it's not a matter of just saying, you know, a B and C.

I mean, it is, you know, there's unlearning of things that and I'm and I'm part of that, there's the issue about, you know, this issue of being woke and of course, you know, then you get in performative um actions that people take, what do you and I'm asking this because, you know, I mean, you have so much energy, Nadia, you're you're you're in my mind every time I see you, you you remind me of you have a spirit that's joyful because you're always trying to look at how do you build bridges to other communities, as I just did bring up the thing about George Floyd, and I love the way you sort of put it, it's something that I have to deal with.

But how do you see the next steps to really deal with systemic racism?

First of all, I I do want to say for those who have created black lives matter and for in right here in Winnipeg justice for black lives, I'm not trying to diminish anything that they've done.

They they're brilliant and these are hard working and they just happen to be uh majority of females that have had that awakening within that says, you know what, we can't be quiet anymore, we need to stand up and we need to do something and that's how black lives matter came about, and that's how justice for black lives was able to rally together the community and the city and the province.

Um because there were people from outside the province, outside the city that came To create that 20,000 um, voices that were at the ledge with that being said, we need to not only be there for the big rallies and the big social media blitz and we're not a token, we're not a fad.

We're not, we shouldn't we shouldn't be looking at it like that.

You know, when the cameras are there, everybody's there, when the cameras are gone, we kind of forget about it.

Um, that shouldn't be the way that things go.

And as long as people are not, once people start getting comfortable again, that's when we're not doing what we're doing, what we need to do.

We we need to be able to be open and honest and stop being silent, stop letting it go, stop saying it's okay.

It's not me.

It doesn't involve me.

All of those thinking has to go out the window and you're right.

It's a it's an on education of the way that things were and the way that things are because we all all know that there is no normal anymore.

The part of systematic racism within that normal should be gone.

I don't think there's any way that we can never ever say that we're going to eliminate it completely because we can't change everybody.

We can change the majority.

We can do whatever we need to do to focus on what the problem is for those people that are making laws that are supposed to be um, facilitating laws that are supposed to be serving and protecting all of those people that are in those positions.

They can't be a part of the problem.

They have to be a part of the solution.

It can't be just, maybe there's, well, there's only one or there's only a few.

There can't be any, everybody has to be on the same page and that's the only way that this is gonna work.

You know, it's a great, it's a great way to look at a sort of a segway.

I want to talk about the CMH are and the Viola Desmond piece that you were involved in.

But before we get there Nadia, I think one thing that you have left me with a very strong sense of is that it's really important to have conversation, but it's also important to look at that conversation and move it from sort of into action, right?

You know, it's one thing to have conversations which are important, but at some juncture, particularly when you're newer to this whole process, you want to be engaged in a conversation and I think the patients of somebody like you to say, I'm happy to have a conversation, but I've lived this, I've seen it, this is not new to me, I didn't just arrive.

So we need to find steps, concrete steps to take action.

And I think that that that's something that I obviously on, on further podcasts episodes of podcasts.

I'd like to get more into more detail with you, but this was really appreciate your comment.

I I do want to look at um bridging to something that you and I have in common.

And that is that you spoke at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on the day that the bank of Canada unveiled the new $10 bill, which has Violet Desmond on the front and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on the back.

And you spoke to it?

Um you know, goose bumps, tell me, how did you feel about that day?

I was so nervous.

I think the first thing I said was I think I have to go to the bathroom, that's a hard place to find in that museum from time to time.

It was um humbled is the biggest thing I could say about that day.

That whole experience was very humbling and probably as a little girl and I, and I keep thinking about that picture of Vice President and the little girl looking in the mirror.

And I think about that was me.

I'm like, I never would have thought that someone would ask me to do that.

It was a historical day and I was overwhelmingly pleasure, um pleased and honored to be asked to do that speech.

Um I just spoke my truth.

I just, I thought about what I wanted to say and and said it.

Um and that's what I do the majority of the time when I do public speaking, even when we're talking right now and it's not like I have a script that I'm reading off of at that time, I was so nervous, I had to have something on paper.

But a majority of the time it's a conversation.

I think that's what I want people to understand too.

When you believe in something, it's so easy to talk about it, it's so easy to, to encourage other people to acknowledge it.

So when you talk about joy, um Joy, maybe my personality, but it's so easy to talk about something when you, when you love it.

Um and I love this community.

I love being a black woman.

I love sharing my history, I love um being able to touch other people and if I can just change one person.

So if one person in that room felt something from my speech, I've done my job and I think you have more than one.

I gotta tell you I was there and I think you have more than one.

You were, you were amazing.

Um Nadia, I just wanted to ask you, you know, is there any a movie or a documentary you would say, you know, really touched you.

You know that you think you should, you would recommend to me or people that are listening to this episode.

There's some really great movies and there are some big pictures that are obviously like the Harriet tubman movie um Hidden Figures obviously was brilliant.

Um The Hate U Give It may not have been as big, but it's a really inspiring, emotional thought provoking movie that people should watch.

And I think actually I'm gonna put a plug for stars that that's channel.

I think they're starting to put put it on I think next week.

So if you get a chance check it out.

Okay.

Oh sorry.

I was gonna say that we talked about um when you were talking about a documentary or a short film and I don't even know where it came from.

It just happened that I'm a person that I have the tv on while I sleep.

So when I woke up one morning this short was on and it's called Mahalia melts in the rain if you don't have a chance to watch it, especially for those mothers with um Children of color.

Uh please watch it.

It's really short, it's probably about eight minutes but the impact it has as a young female um in regards to our hair and what our hair means to us and how it affects the way that you feel as a as a female.

Um please I I implore you to watch it and I don't want to ruin it because like I said it's really short but but it it means it means a lot and it touched me that I had to watch it over and over and over again and I've watched it at least six times already and I was a ballerina at one point.

Don't don't ask.

But um please watch it.

What about a book?

I'm always a big fan, I love the Malcolm x bio bio biography.

Um it is a great read, I've read it more than once, um I've been told and I've been recommended to read the Michelle Obama book as well.

So um there's just so many, I don't want to call any names again, I'm gonna get myself in trouble.

But um I just, I do want to do a shout out to um to some books and also McNally Robinson, their extensive array of books that they have is just amazing and I was able to get so many titles from there and within our, our group, the Black History Manitoba Celebration Committee, we have a traveling library that we keep growing and growing and growing and we've got books from babies for school age, for high school and for our us adults who just want to have something and we go from history to um biographies.

We have a wider range of information.

Um and then also I have to do a plug for the the um, Canadian black history book for kids.

It's a fantastic book.

Please please if you have a chance and I hope that if you are at one of our events or you're participating in one of our promotions that we have during february.

You can get yourself a copy.

You're so good.

Thank you so much.

That's great and I appreciate that.

I look forward to that.

And then that's just what about an artist?

If there's some, some musicians, some group that you just sort of say, you know, they, I mean and there's tons of them, I get it, but just if there's one you sort of say, you know what, I just was listening to this, I mean for me, you know, I was thinking about this because I was thinking about you might say, well what about you?

And I was thinking, okay, fair question.

I gotta rock Stevie wonder, right.

I just, I mean there's so many like, I mean I could earth wind and fire you go down the list.

But you know, I mean not only is he, I mean so talented for the fact that he's, you know, has lack lack of sight, right?

I mean, but the music that he wrote and you know, one tune in particular Living in the city that that is a that I mean that's a movie in a song that's a that's a lifetime in a song.

It's really quite powerful.

So that that was my guy.

Well my guy is hands down, it's sam Cooke.

I am just, I'm the biggest fan I can listen to his music 24 7 and even his story alone is an inspiration and if you have a chance to check out his his documentary as well, um I believe it's on netflix, You never, there's certain things that you just didn't know, and even when I when I watched it and I read a book or on Sam Cooke, I thought I knew everything and there's always that little bit more that comes out.

So um I'm gonna go with Sam Cooke, can't lose, can't lose.

Um so Nadia Thompson.

Um I just, I've adored this opportunity to speak with you and to get to know you a bit more and to watch the leadership that you provide in the community, um your energy, your your your sense of of of pride in who you are.

Um it's uh it's it's something beautiful to watch.

So I'm thrilled and delighted to to get to know you a bit better.

I look forward to working with you in this community to to help promote what this can be at the community that we think we can make it to be.

So um I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you for finding some time to share some of your stories with me.

I want to do this again with you at another time, but this has just been a delightful, delightful opportunity for me and the feeling of the sentiment is coming from me to you as well.

Um I met you and from the moment I met you, I I just can sense that you're you're such an open and honest person and the value that you have within the city.

I know that you've done a lot.

Um We may not No now because you're you're kind of semi retired, but um our community want to thank you for what you've done and for opening that door and giving us that platform um that you already have built for yourself, sharing that just shows what kind of person you are.

I look forward to every opportunity I can to help teach us and I'm learning to whatever I say, it's not just uh you guys need to do this.

I need to do it as well and I appreciate that you gave me the opportunity to speak and to learn from you as well.

And I and I hope that we continue this, this friendship and I will call you a friend now.

So we're friends now and that's that's a great way to sign off.

Thank you so much, Nadia, we'll talk to you soon.

You take care.

Thank you very much.

Have a great evening.

Humans on Rights is recorded and hosted by Stuart Murray.

Social media marketing by the creative team at full current in Winnipeg.

Thanks also to Trixie May bite you in.

Music by Doug Edmund for more go to human rights hub dot C a a production of the sound off media company.

Hi, I'm Matt Cundill, host of the Sound Off Podcast, the podcast about broadcast. Every Week since 2016, we've been bringing on broadcast leaders to talk about their experiences in radio, what they've seen and where they believe it is all going.

If you live and love radio, subscribe to the Sound Off Podcast with Matt Cundill wherever you get your podcasts.