Race, Health & Happiness

On Saturday, September 23rd, 2023, The “Race, Health & Happiness” Podcast staged a live event at the Black Creek Community Health Centre in Toronto.  The theme was “Black Joy”.  Dr. O led the event with special guests, psychologist Natacha Pennycooke and musicologist John Devenish.  The programme also featured prerecorded segments by Dance/Movement therapist Maria “Mara” Rivera from New York City.Original RHH intern Jael Joseph was master of ceremonies, and the RHH Team was there to support the event including our showrunner Cam, research coordinator Tamika Latibeaudiere, and technical producers Xavier Oshinowo and D’Andre Dixon.Here’s what it sounded like….Access our  Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(https://bit.ly/rhhcarolinepeters6)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]   

Unbelievably, this is it!  After four seasons of The “Race, Health & Happiness”Podcast, we are shutting off the lights, locking the door, and saying goodbye for the last time.  We did our best to share knowledge, uplift people, and make “this racialized world” a little better.  But all good things must come to an end, and we know in our souls that now is the time to take a break, and then dream it all up again with some new and exciting ventures.Of the countless reasons we have to be grateful, it’s the many people who supported the work of "Race, Health & Happiness" that mean the most to us.  RHH has sur-thrived because of the contributions of many, including:Camille (CAM) - Managing Producer & ShowrunnerObadiah George - Technical ProducerJael Joseph - Associate ProducerJordyn Gibson - Promotions CoordinatorJaviera-Violeta Duran Kairies - Logistics CoordinatorAwet Sium - Business Manager and VoiceoverTamika E. Latibeaudière - Research ConsultantCorrine Bent-Womack - Anti-Racism ConsultantLatoya Powell - Special Production ConsultantVeronica Ing - Graphic DesignGoldkeyz - Theme MusicDarrelle Carpentier - Voiceover ArtistAruna Dahanayake - LawyerLorraine Fleck - Legal consultantRay Fontaine - Strategy ConsultantDan Misener - Audience Development ConsultantSarah Martin - Podcasting ConsultantHannah Sung - Podcasting ConsultantFrançoise Makanda - Communications ConsultantSemipe Oni - Medical Student Sinthu Senthillmohan - Medical StudentXavier Oshinowo - Student InternAphiah McIntosh - Student InternAfua Mfwodo - Student InternD'Andre Dixon - Student InternRebecca Crawford - Student ContributorChantal Phillips - Student ContributorHelen Melon - Student ContributorFisayo Aruleba - Student ContributorMiranda McDermott - Student ContributorHappy Inibhunu - Student ContributorWe have had the pleasure of featuring outstanding guests on our RHH shows who have included:“Race, Health & Happiness”Ritu BhasinCelina Caesar-ChavannesRoberta K. Timothy. Ph.D.Akwatu KhentiDirector X (Operation Prefrontal Cortex)Kike Ojo-ThompsonVictoria ChanDr. Marcia AndersonKern CarterOlunike AdeliyiDr. Samir Shaheen-HussainTameika ShawGurneet DhamiTrey AnthonyCamille DundasPaul TaylorNouman AshrafAlica HallAngela CarterJael JosephKaryn S. PuglieseNaki Osutei (she/hers)Dalton HigginsElizabeth LeibaDr. Lulu, aka “The Momatrician”Bamby SalcedoNam KiwanukaNicole KanikiCaroline PetersQuinton RedcliffeMarlon PalmerD’Bi.Young AnitafrikaNatacha PennycookeJohn DevenishMaria “Mara” RiveraRHH on CampusD' Andre Dixon Hannah Boadu Malik Clarke Ilyas HusseinDr. Candice ToddDr. Upton AllenCelina Caesar-ChavannesGregory LeslieDonna AlexanderWe are also thankful for the organizations, institutions, and companies that have offered their financial and moral support to keep us operating:Bhasin Consulting Inc.University of TorontoToronto Metropolitan UniversityBlack Creek Community Health CentreCity of TorontoUnited Way Greater TorontoThe Black Health Alliance Finally, we are grateful to YOU, the listeners. Thanks to you RHH has evolved into a community dedicated to promoting equity, diversion, inclusion, justice and wellness. Here’s wishing you continued Health & Happiness now and always!Thank you for listening, and we will talk with you soon,Dr. Karl KabaselePS - to continue to listen to our entire catalogue of episodes for free visit: http://www.RaceHealthHappiness.com

In this episode of “Race Health & Happiness” I speak with d’bi.young anitafrika, a multi-hyphenate, multi-dimensional, award-winning artist, performer, leader and dreamer with over 25 years of experience creating and performing around the world. In our conversation, d'bi shares about their journey as a creative committed to decolonization and liberation. They discuss the impact of classism on Black communities, and how harm and healing can co-exist in real timeListen in for an energizing conversation that celebrates resilience, reclamation and coming home to joy.                                                         - Dr. OAccess our  Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(https://bit.ly/rhhcarolinepeters6)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]   

On today's episode I speak with Marlon Palmer, the Jamaican-Canadian comedian, podcaster, and content creator. With a mission to help people forget their problems, Marlon aims to bring joy and laughter to any environment he occupies. He talks about his journey to becoming a voice for Black Toronto culture and how he intends his work to create a ‘third space’, or a place of rest for people to lay down the burdens of home and work.  Marlon and I discuss the power of art to push boundaries, and we touch on some of the pay equity disparities he experiences as a Black content creator. During this episode I promise that you will enjoy some good laughs, and discover how comedy has the power to both inspire necessary conversations, and bring comfort to the community at the same time.                               - Dr. OAccess our  Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(https://bit.ly/rhhcarolinepeters6)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]   

This episode of RHH is our third of a 3-part series on South Africa.  I speak with Quinton Redcliffe, a skilled facilitator, trainer, and educator from Cape Town, South Africa. He specializes in international education, intercultural communication and leadership training.  He has dedicated his career to working to find common ground among diverse populations, from his days working to topple the apartheid regime in the South Africa of his youth, to helping people deal with and overcome the legacy of institutionalized racism in his country and all over the world.  More recently Quinton has had the opportunity to expand his anti-racism work even further, following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in the United States.  From that tragedy the demand for racial reconciliation grew, and Quinton has worked hard to fill that gap through his work.In our conversation, Quinton talks about the explicit ways South Africa institutionalized racism. He highlights how apartheid dictated a person’s fate from the cradle to the grave — where one was born, where they were allowed to live, and even where they were buried were all influenced by race with all of this exclusion being written into law. We also talk about the ways that the study of the system of apartheid can be used to learn how best to implement systems of resistance that include allyship, conflict resolution and knowledge exchange. Quinton’s personal journey of resistance can help us to understand how to combat systems of oppression, both past and present                  - Dr. O.Access our  Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(https://bit.ly/rhhcarolinepeters6)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]  

This episode of RHH is our second of a three-part series on South Africa.  I speak with Ms. Caroline Peters, a South African feminist and human rights defender and an award-winning activist against gender-based violence. Ms. Peters discusses her life and experiences living and working as a coloured woman in South Africa during the 90's. She tells me about the differences in discrimination between groups during apartheid, and her feelings about how she navigated those chapters in South African history. During our conversation she opens up about how she found, lost, and reclaimed her voice, and the painful obstacles that she had to overcome during the process. In her work today, she continues to raise awareness for gender based violence, working to serve, support, and uplift women fleeing violent relationships. Tune in to learn more about her story, history, and how we can participate in creating safer societies for women.                   - Dr. O.Access our  Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(https://bit.ly/rhhcarolinepeters6)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]  

Get ready to embark on a captivating journey as the Race Health & Happiness podcast continues our international theme with an extraordinary 3-part series that unravels the rich tapestry of South Africa. My exploration led me to the vibrant city of Cape Town, where I had intriguing conversations about race in the South African context. But before I transport you to the heart of the Motherland, we kick off this exhilarating mini-series right here in Canada with an exceptional guest: Dr. Nicole Kaniki.Dr. Kaniki is an esteemed South African Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion professional and the visionary founder of Senomi Solutions Inc. In this episode Dr. Kaniki and I delve into the intricate complexities of race in South Africa, a place she describes as “a little Europe in Africa”.  She tells me about her “superpower” — the art of listening — and how it has shaped her work in the. Social justice space.  Additionally, she opens up about her personal experience growing up as a “coloured” person in South Africa, and eventually embracing her Black identity when she moved to North America.I invite you to immerse yourself in this captivating first episode of our three-part series, where you will gain a deeper understanding of South Africa. So please sit back, relax, and prepare to be enthralled by the inspiring narrative that awaits you. You won’t want to miss it!                                       - Dr. OAccess our Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(https://bit.ly/3OlCe0X)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]  

On the latest episode of Race Health and Happiness, Dr. O engages in a riveting conversation with esteemed Canadian journalist Nam Kiwanuka. Nam has had an impressive run on the Canadian public television network TVO as the co-host “The Agenda with Steve Paikin”, as the host of TVO's groundbreaking project “The Thread with Nam Kiwanuka”, and as the host of “The Agenda in the Summer”.  With that track record plus her years as a music journalist and documentarian, Nam is no stranger to the limelight and has firmly established herself as a Black Canadian media icon.In this inspiring episode of Race, Health & Happiness filled with stories of triumph and determination, Nam reveals her remarkable superpower of "letting things roll off her back." She fearlessly recounts how this extraordinary ability has empowered her to navigate hostile environments with persistence and grace. Nam also sheds light on her dynamic evolution as a person and journalist as she deftly adapted and surthrived despite the adversity she faced as a refugee from Uganda establishing a new life in Canada. Nam's life journey could fill the pages of a captivating best-selling book, and we are thrilled that she generously shares glimpses of it in this episode.Prepare to be elevated and enlightened by an extraordinary tale of resilience narrated by one of Canada's most exceptional and fiercely original journalists. Make sure to tune in and experience this unforgettable story. Access our Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(http://bit.ly/3Mi9Vj7)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]  

Bamby Salcedo is known all over the world for her activism as the President and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition. In her conversation with Dr. O she talks about the courageous journey she took to live her life authentically and the risks and costs of living out this truth. As a transgender woman who was also an immigrant from Mexico in Los Angeles, she shares about the layered intersections of her experience that helped to develop her into the strong person she is today. The resilience and grit she cultivated over the course of her life helps her in her activism as she runs an organization dedicated to supporting people through the challenges of living while trans. Listen to this fascinating conversation for an inspiring story of following your calling. Access our Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(http://bit.ly/3Mi9Vj7)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]  

Dr. O’s guest for this episode is Dr. Lulu, aka “The Momatrician”. She is a Nigerian-born, board-certified pediatrician, a former lieutenant colonel and commander in the US Air Force, mother of three children, author of “How to Teach Your Children About Racism” and a two-time TEDx speaker.In this episode Dr. Lulu shares her story of coming of age in Nigeria, and talks about the mistakes that many parents make when they find themselves at a crossroads in their children’s lives, dealing with. childhood trauma, LGBTQ+ acceptance and youth suicide prevention.An engaging and passionate guest, Dr. Lulu inspires us to examine the way we look at parenting. - Dr. O Access our Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(http://bit.ly/3Mi9Vj7)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.] 

On Part 2. of  RHH on Campus,  Xavier Oshinowo interviews Head of the Division of Infectious Disease at the Hospital for Sick Children,  Professor of Paediatrics at U of T and member of the Black Scientist task force- Dr. Upton Allen- about the impact of Covid 19 on Black Communities.Access our Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]

On Part 1.  of RHH on Campus, Xavier Oshinowo interviews Naturopathic doctor and member of the Black Scientist task force-Dr. Candice Todd. During this episode Xavier and Dr. Todd discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Black Communities.Access our Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]

This is the first episode of “RHH On Campus”, where we pass the mic to Black students!!! In this episode Xavier Oshinowo, who is a Media Production student at Toronto Metropolitan University, interviews his peers. The conversations highlight four students’ transitions from online to in-person schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic.[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]

Season 4 of RHH is going to be an international journey, and we we start it off in the USA with our amazing sister, Elizabeth Leiba! She is a multimedia journalist of Jamaican descent living and working in Florida, where she has hosted numerous podcasts including “Black Power Moves” on the Ebony Podcast Network.  Leiba is also a professor who has spent more than a decade working in higher education, teaching advocacy at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She is the Director of Instructional Design and Innovation at City College in Hollywood, Florida, and the founder and course developer for The Black History and Culture Academy, an informative, engaging and immersive online Black history program. And Leiba is the author of a magnificent book about “surthrival” entitled “I'm Not Yelling: A Black Woman's Guide to Navigating the Workplace”. And as if all that were not enough, in 2020, she was recognized by the networking website LinkedIn as a “Top Voice in Education”.In this episode Elizabeth talks with me about her experience “Shopping While Black”, her unnerving experience with the police, what she learned about the legal system, and of course she shares with us her stories of overcoming and resilience.                                 - Dr. O Access our Shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(http://bit.ly/41gCYsw)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]

"I am a HUGE fan of centering Black Joy during the holidays! As an antidote to the materialism, colonial social structures, and more recently the pandemic-related isolation, I think it’s important to celebrate with friends and loved ones, good food, and good music, all grounded in our rich cultural traditions.In this special episode of the “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast I sit down with my Senior Producer Dr. Karl Kabasele to share memories of holidays past, and to discuss how we can all find joy, connection, and rejuvenation during this festive season.  However you celebrate, whether you embrace a religious or cultural tradition or not, there is room for everyone around our RHH holiday table!At the end of the show we also take a look at the future of RHH and our plans to expand the role of our BIPOC journalism and production students as we prepare to launch Season 4 in February of 2023.On behalf of the whole RHH Family, here’s wishing you Health & Happiness now and into the New Year!”                                  - Dr. O Access our shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(https://tinyurl.com/rhhtdnakio)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]

On this episode I speak with Dalton Higgins, an African-Canadian self-proclaimed multi-hyphenate. He is a PR strategist and publicist, author of six books, festival producer and National Magazine Award winning journalist. Dalton teaches a course called 'Deconstructing Drake, and The Weeknd' as a part of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Professional Music BFA program. Dalton is also the author of the definitive biography of rap icon Drake entitled, 'Far From Over: The Music and Life of Drake', which is part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum collection in the U.S. Dalton has been a script writer for the Juno Awards ceremony for Canadian music, and a former member of the Racial Equity Advisory Committee for The Canada Council for the Arts. Additionally, Dalton is the host of one of my personal favourite podcasts, ‘Black Tea’, which was created for and by Black Canadians, where they dig into Black culture, news and sports. In this episode of RHH we discuss topics like Black entrepreneurship, tokenism, challenging the status quo as minorities, and the incredible healing powers of music.       -  Dr. O Access our shownotes to uncover additional meaning!(https://tinyurl.com/rhhtdnakio)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]

DESCRIPTION:My guest for this episode is Naki Osutei, a Ghanian-born Canadian woman, and the Vice President of Strategy, Colleague Experience and Environmental Social Governance at the multinational bank and financial services corporation, TD Canada Trust. Naki has helped to develop the “TD Ready Commitment”, TD’s global citizenship platforms that assist in providing grants to community-based organizations. Additionally, she co-chairs the Black Employee Network and she is a member of the Black Executive Steering Committee at TD. Naki is also the founder of Next Level Presence, a boutique coaching consultancy, which produces the podcast “Presence by Naki O”. And she was appointed Executive in Residence at Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto in 2021.In this episode we have an open, honest and sometimes painful conversation on a range of topics including overcoming racial isolation, stereotyping, “respectability politics”, assimilation, and redefining “diplomacy”.  And through it all Naki inspires us even as she shares her pain, and she maintains her sense of humour — we shared some good laughs!  Naki truly has a compelling story of overcoming and “sur-thriving”, despite the challenges.       -  Dr. O Access our shownotes to uncover additional meaning! (https://tinyurl.com/rhhtdnakio) Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]

“For this episode of the RHH podcast, we are bringing you a throwback, and it’s the very popular episode from Season 2 featuring Kike Ojo-Thompson.  The reason we are doing this encore presentation is because we know that so many of you are heading back to the workplace or back into the classroom, and what she has is the ultimate advice on knowing how to succeed and understanding the game board you’re playing on, especially as a Black person.  And so we are bringing it back, this gem of an episode with my girl Kike!Kike's mission is to transform institutions and work cultures into more equitable spaces.  Our conversation explores the tensions and intersections of Black identity within Black communities.  Then we delve into the double discrimination faced by Black women called “Misogynoir”, and finally tips for staying healthy and raising resilient Black children.I love this conversation.  I hope you do too.”    - Dr. OAccess our shownotes to uncover additional meaning! (bit.ly/rhhs2e1)Please support us on Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of Toronto Metropolitan University.]

In this special episode of Race, Health & Happiness, we are profiling one of our star interns, Jael Joseph. And as a super special treat I’ve also got our senior producer Dr. Karl on the mic, since he plays an important role supervising and working with our students.So… as y’all know, our podcast team is comprised of Black and BIPOC volunteer students and paid interns. Our distinguished guest Jael was our first intern, and she did such a wonderful job that a year later she was promoted to Associate Producer!  She is so talented and a bright light on our team so we decided y’all should meet her! Jael is a media producer, emcee and influencer born in Dominica. Even before becoming a student at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson) she had over 10 years of experience in radio as an on-air personality and program coordinator. She is the first Black woman to be the recipient of the Faulhaber Communications Award for women aspiring to be a senior leader in communications. AND She is just wrapping up her master’s degree in Media Production. During our conversation we talk about Jael’s experience as an intern on RHH, the challenges she faced as a Black female immigrant student in North America, and the importance of knowing your worth and demanding that it be respected!      -  Dr. O View our ShowNotes for more information -   https://bit.ly/3Bl3iXZ Please support us on Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of United Way Greater Toronto, and the help of Toronto Metropolitan University, the school formerly known as Ryerson] 

 This is the second of a two-part series.  See S03E04 for Part 1, entitled “Protecting Ourselves” In this episode, we will continue what we started in Episode 4, where I interviewed EDI leader Nouman Ashraf, and we focused on protective factors that can shield us from some of the harms of systemic racism. In that episode we reflected on Nouman’s own journey and how factors like self-love, cultural pride, cultural fluency were protective for him, and I talked about the importance of taking a mindful moment when you are triggered. This episode is about the power of the community organizations that create “protective spaces” for us. I think we don’t always realize the power and protection we get in groups - there is a reason for the saying ‘united we stand’ – it’s just harder to knock us down when we are a collective. As two case examples of this, I spoke to the leaders of the NIA Center for the Arts in Toronto and Roots Community Services in the Greater Toronto Area. Both of these centers provide 4 protective factors that I want to highlight: 1) they provide a sense of belonging, 2) foster a sense of joy, 3) empower their members and 4) cultivate collective self-determination. All are antidotes to the poison of systemic racism and other structural forms of discrimination. I’m going to guide you through the journeys of their organizations, the challenges, the programs they offer and the success stories from these protective spaces.      -  Dr. O View our ShowNotes for more information -  https://bit.ly/3y3TNsN Please support us on Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/RaceHealthHappy[The “Race, Health & Happiness” podcast is produced with the support of United Way Greater Toronto, and the help of Toronto Metropolitan University, the school formerly known as Ryerson]