The Breaking Down Racial Barriers (BDRB) initiative is facilitating a 2-part roundtable panel discussion on anti-Black racism in British Columbia’s music and entertainment industry. The series is presented by Music BC and supported by BreakOut West and The Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) and ADVANCE, Canada’s new Black Music Business Collective, with additional support from Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia, and FACTOR and the Government of Canada.
Initiated, curated and coordinated by Canadian music and entertainment community mainstays Ian Andre Espinet and David “Click” Cox, BDRB discussions are CENTRED in the voices and lived experiences of working Black music professionals. To build an inclusive, economically viable Canadian music and entertainment industry, it is critical to address the anti-Black racism that exists in the systems and working environments within which Black music professionals and creatives operate.
BREAKING DOWN RACIAL BARRIERS ROUNDTABLE DATES:
PANEL 1: Thursday September 14th – 1pm (PST)
Featuring Guest Speakers:
Buk Nkosi – Founder, Chaos Club Digital & Holdr
Johnny Black – Talent Buyer, Timbre Concerts
Mavis Harris – Founder & Publicist, Nice Marmot PR
Teon Gibbs – Artist, Label Owner, Culture Con Director
PANEL 2: Thursday September 21st – 1pm (PST)
Featuring Guest Speakers:
Checkmate – Artist
Denise Goldberg – Audio Engineer & CEO Denzin 8 Productions Inc.
Krystle Dos Santos – Artist
Ndidi Cascade – Artist, Hip-Hop Educator & Curator
In an effort to advance equity in the region’s music industry, Music BC has supported the BDRB facilitated series to have difficult, yet critical, conversations in an effort to identify the structures and behaviours that perpetuate anti-Black racism.
Roundtables will address key areas of the entertainment industry and barriers faced by Black music professionals – with highlighted themes and key take-aways captured.
All sessions will be held online via Zoom, and are completely free to attend.
