Description-Rich Stories from Black History in Canada The Describer's Sandbox

A few years back, my friend Keya Osbourne at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind reached out and asked me to do some description-rich storytelling as one of their Black History Month events. We decided to find stories that celebrated and honoured Black Canadians, and tailor the telling to Blind and Low Vision audiences. It was an amazing challenge, and a profound honour. With guidance from Neisha Mitchell and Bernard Akuoko, I researched and drafted a collection of stories from Black communities across Canada, rich with description of historical photos, landscapes, and documents, and presented them with accompanying interview clips in two virtual events.

We wanted to make sure that those stories were available to everyone, so we selected some favourites, recorded them, and turned them into this easy-to-share podcast. Some of these stories involve passion, perseverance, and joy. Some are rife with injustice and suffering, and may be upsetting or triggering. Listener discretion is advised.

Big thanks to Keya, Neisha, and Bernard for their continued enthusiasm and support. And a big tip of my hat to those who generously shared their personal stories, both on and off mic, to help me with my research and learning. 

For more description-rich content, join me on Twitter @HeyHeyDoubleJ and check out TalkDescriptionToMe.com.