The Black Hum

In 1914, the world was at war. Thousands of Canadian men rushed to their local enlistment centres, eager to join the fight. But, when Black men went to enlist, they were turned away. It was "a white man's war," they were told. Canada didn't want a "checkerboard army." What followed is a story of rejection and resilience, and of service in the face of bigotry.From Knockabout Media, this is The Black Hum, a new 3-part series on the history and legacy of Canada's first all-Black battalion. First episode drops November 11.Written & Hosted by Cindy CharlesProduced by Ryan Barnett & Cindy CharlesA Knockabout Media Production | Funded by Veterans Affairs Canada

Why did Canada not want a so-called "checkerboard army"? In 1914, the Canadian government called on all able-bodied men to serve their country in the Great War. However, when Black men went to enlist, they were turned away. In this first episode in our new series, we look at those early years of the war, when Black Canadians found themselves having to fight for the right to fight.Join us as we explore the remarkable history of No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canada’s only all-Black battalion during the First World War, uncovering their legacy, contributions, and the untold stories of Black Canadian soldiers in our latest podcast on military history, diversity, and heritage.*Download our Discussing Questions for your class*Written & Hosted by Cindy CharlesProduced by Ryan Barnett & Cindy CharlesVoice Director Sonia GemmitiRecorded by Tyler RaumanThis series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Sgt. Craig Smith, Douglas Ruck, and Lindsay Ruck.Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew BarnettA Knockabout Media ProductionThis podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

If you were once rejected, would you still want to serve? It's 1915, and the Canadian Expeditionary Forces are taking heavy casualties. The growing need for more recruits leads Canadian military leadership to turn toward the very men they had previously barred from service.Join us as we explore the remarkable history of No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canada’s only all-Black battalion during the First World War, uncovering their legacy, contributions, and the untold stories of Black Canadian soldiers in our latest podcast on military history, diversity, and heritage.*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*Written & Hosted by Cindy CharlesProduced by Ryan Barnett & Cindy CharlesVoice Director Sonia GemmitiRecorded by Tyler RaumanThis series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Sgt. Craig Smith, Douglas Ruck, and Lindsay Ruck.Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew BarnettFeaturing "I Want to Be Ready" & "Live a-Humble" by the Tuskegee Institute SingersA Knockabout Media ProductionThis podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

How does a forgotten piece of history become uncovered? In this, our final episode in the series, you will learn about what happened to the men of the No.2 after the war, and how their story came to light decades later.Join us as we explore the remarkable history of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canada’s only all-Black battalion during the First World War, uncovering their legacy, contributions, and the untold stories of Black Canadian soldiers in our latest podcast on military history, diversity, and heritage.*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*Written & Hosted by Cindy CharlesProduced by Ryan Barnett & Cindy CharlesVoice Director Sonia GemmitiRecorded by Tyler RaumanThis series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Sgt. Craig Smith, Douglas Ruck, and Lindsay Ruck.Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew BarnettFeaturing a musical performance "How Great Thou Art" by Reeny Smith & FamilyA Knockabout Media ProductionThis podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

The Black Hum returns for a second season, tracing five lives that reflect the broader Black Canadian experience in the twentieth century. These include Rufus Rockhead, founder of Montreal’s legendary Rockhead’s Paradise nightclub; E. Lionel Cross, Toronto’s first Black lawyer and a key figure in early civil rights battles; Charlie Kelly, a barrier-breaking baseball player whose career unfolded across colour lines; Hewburn Greenidge, the first Black graduate of a Canadian medical school west of Ontario; and George Downey, patriarch of the Fighting Downeys boxing family. This season brings these overlooked lives into focus.

In the season premiere of The Black Hum, we trace the extraordinary life of Charlie Kelly, a standout baseball player from Ingersoll, Ontario, and a member of Canada’s No. 2 Construction Battalion. From local ballfields to the First World War, Kelly’s story reveals how sport offered both escape and opportunity. The episode culminates in the legendary “Forestry Game,” where Kelly took the mound before a crowd that included the King of England, challenging racial barriers through sheer talent. *Download our Discussion Questions for your class*Host Cindy CharlesWriter Nuruddin QoraneExecutive Producer Ryan BarnettAssociate Producer Cindy CharlesVoice Director Sonia GemmitiResearcher Dr. Sarafina PagnottaSeries Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias JoostThis series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Candace Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy WilliamsAdditional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew BarnettA Knockabout Media ProductionThis podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

A Black medical student. An all-Black battalion. A war that needed his skills but never fully recognized his service. In this episode of The Black Hum, we look at the life of Dr. Hewburn Greenidge as it stretched from British Guiana to Winnipeg to the timber camps of the Jura Mountains and back to the heart of the Amazon.*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*Host Cindy CharlesWriter Nuruddin QoraneExecutive Producer Ryan BarnettAssociate Producer Cindy CharlesVoice Director & Editor Sonia GemmitiResearcher Dr. Sarafina PagnottaSeries Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias JoostThis series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Candace Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy WilliamsAdditional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew BarnettA Knockabout Media ProductionThis podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.