When the Black Medical Students Association (BMSA) started at the University of Toronto in 1999, founder Dr. Sean Wharton, was one of only three members.

Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests and political unrest, first-generation Black Canadian artist, Emanuel, has released his passionate EP entitled ALT THERAPY Session 2: Transformation, via Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company, and his new U.S. label partner Motown Records.

Given is the debut novel from Nandi Taylor, a Black Caribbean and Canadian writer and fantasy-enthusiast. Nandi Taylor first started weaving the tale about a young Yirba princess back in 2017 on Wattpad, an online storytelling platform.

Canada is home to many Black artists who have hit the big leagues and put our country on the map. It's safe to say that Toronto is the epicenter of such talent. International composer, producer, and Grammy Award-winning jazz musician, Larnell Lewis, is one of them.

The creative arts sector has stepped in to play a supporting cast to the global discord of our times. People have steadily turned to the arts for a taste of much needed joy—whether it’s via home concerts online or at drive-ins to free showings of plays and events. Filmmaker, photographer and actor Howard J. Davis aka HAUI, understands how during isolation, creative art is one of the things that has kept us sane. The previous ByBlacks People’s Choice Award winner for best film director sees how his work can provide that release. Simultaneously, he gets us to think beyond the…

To continue to amplify the necessary conversation around sustainability, innovation, community activism Planet in Focus celebrates its 21st Annual International Environmental Film Festival from October 14-23rd. Planet in Focus is an environmental media arts organization with year-round programming. The mandate is to produce cultural events that showcase engaging and artistic films that question, explore and tell stories about the world in which we live.

TiKA Simone, who now goes by TiKA, has been out of the music-making scene for some time. We’ve seen her work on other projects with Sephora and as a film composer, but after all of her work supporting other artists via her showcase The Known Unknown, and dropping singles and notable EPs STABLU and Carry On over the years, everyone was anxiously awaiting a full album drop.

“Over 2 million of the 12 million associated with the transatlantic slave trade died en route. In effect, what you’re looking at is a crime scene.” Kramer Wimberley

On Saturday, October 17th, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra will host “The First Ladies of Soul,” a performance of classic Black Soul music by Nina Simone, Billie Holliday, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and many more sung by Canada’s own ‘Queen of Rock n Soul’, Shakura S’Aida. The drive-in theatre show — one of the first of its kind introduced in this period of pandemic induced social distancing — will be conducted by Daniel Bartholemew-Poyser, a highly celebrated conductor of Trinidadian and Jamaican descent.

Teaming up to give a moment of decompression during this season of global health and social justice crises, the legendary Jamaican comedic actor Oliver Samuels and Toronto’s beloved entertainment mogul Jay Martin have been busy preparing a wholesome treat for their combined audiences.