Desirée Zagbai
(Local Journalism Initiative)
Almost a decade after his passing, Stanley G. Grizzle’s legacy continues to live on. The Black Community Resource Centre (BCRC) has launched a new podcast project, persisting to tell stories that matter to people of colour. The podcast is a tribute to Grizzle’s accomplishments and highlights his work as a Black sleeping car porter.
The BCRC is a non-profit organization that helps the Black anglophone community achieve its dreams and reach its full potential.
Black anglophones in Quebec between 15 to 35, can become a podcast recruit. They will engage with Grizzle’s excerpts for 12 months during this time they will record a podcast series and gain a broader knowledge of the history of Black communities in Montreal.
Jean-Philippe Djehoury, 25, is a podcast participant. He believes the project will unite the Black youth.
“I think it’s good to be in a place with other Black people, working on the same project. I think it’ll be a beautiful experience,” Djehoury said.
Djehoury added that storytelling also motivated him to sign up for the podcast.
“Telling one person’s story can tell the story of many other people. Grizzle was a judge and many other things. He worked with the Black community,” Djehoury said. “We have the chance, as a group, to tell an amazing story.”
Ayana Monuma, project coordinator of the podcast series, said that Grizzle’s work as a sleeping car porter is essential to teach because of his contribution to the Black community.
Black sleeping car porters worked in Canada from the late 19th century until the mid-1950s. They played important roles during train rides, such as taking care of sick passengers, ensuring there were no thieves on the train, and organizing baggage. Despite all the essential work they did, they experienced racism and exploitation. To conquer the discrimination, they began advocating for better working conditions.
However, Canadian unions such as the Brotherhood of Railroad Employees (CBRE) did not allow Black people to join. As a result, the Black Sleeping Car Porters created the first Black labour union in North America, the Order of Sleeping Car Porters (OSCP).
“We’re using him (Grizzle) to talk about everything. It always kind of starts with sleeping car porters, because that’s what brought money into the Black community, to allow other doors to open for us,” Monuma said.
Monuma added that the knowledge the youth will gain from the project will allow them to use those skills to pursue jobs in sound engineering or launch their own podcasts.
BCRC will provide recruits with all the equipment required for the podcast series, and the youth will participate in remote workshops.
Monuma explained that there will also be two funded trips to Library Archives Canada. They will visit the Ottawa and Gatineau locations.
“I’m feeling excited, and I’m looking forward to seeing the creativity that comes out of it and what the youths come up with,” Monuma said.
The deadline to apply for the podcast series is Nov. 15. Applicants can send an email to ya@bcrcmontreal.com. They should include a brief statement about why they are interested in this project and what they hope to bring to the team.
