SpeakUP! International Inc.

Ellington Brown
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Education

SpeakUP! International Inc. is your go-to podcast for inspiring stories, insightful interviews, and educational content that empowers listeners. Join us as we delve into diverse topics with a focus on uplifting black and brown voices, promoting creativity, and fostering personal and professional growth. 

  1. 4d ago

    What if you're a City Councillor promise to respond within 48 hours?

    A councillor’s job sounds big, but most residents feel it in small moments: the email that never gets answered, the neighbourhood problem that sits for months, the sense that decisions happen somewhere else and you only hear about them after. We sit down with Neil Simon, a community leader, pastor, and small business owner running for Toronto City Council in Ward 9 Davenport, to talk about what local leadership looks like when it is built on responsiveness, visibility, and trust. Neil explains why he’s stepping from community advocacy into municipal politics, and he makes a clear commitment that sparks debate right away: a 48-hour response time from the councillor’s office. We connect that to his hands-on community work, including a self-made food bank during COVID-19, years of mentoring youth and supporting families, and his Restore Purpose Network focused on healing, coaching, and community care. The conversation keeps coming back to dignity, because the way a city serves people matters as much as the service itself. We also get practical about Davenport issues that residents and businesses raise repeatedly, especially parking, plus the ripple effects of development, snow removal, and day-to-day accessibility. Neil shares what he’s learned advocating for seniors through his medical transport work, why isolation and fraud prevention need more attention, and how community centres and local programs can help seniors feel seen. If you care about Toronto municipal government, Ward 9 Davenport, councillor accountability, and neighbourhood-level solutions that you can actually measure, this one is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a neighbour, and leave a review, then tell us: what should a councillor respond to within 48 hours? Connect to Mr. Simon: City of Toronto Candidate List  LinkedIn:  Thoughts on the podcast? Send us a text message. Support the show

    What if you're a City Councillor promise to respond within 48 hours?

  2. Aug 24

    Racism Doesn't Survive By Accident

    Systems don’t change because we want them to. They change when we’re willing to admit they were built to produce the results we’re living with, then do the hard work of redesign. That’s the core of our conversation with Dr. Kathy Hogarth, Associate Vice President of Global Strategy at Wilfrid Laurier University, and a scholar-practitioner whose journey spans Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Canada. We talk candidly about the immigrant experience of credential recognition in Canada and what it means to be told your education “doesn’t count,” even when you’ve done the work and earned the degrees. From there, we dig into community psychology and why a macro lens matters: policies, institutions, and power shape who gets access, who gets believed, and who gets left behind. Dr. Hogarth challenges the temptation to settle for easy fixes, reminding us that many inequities aren’t signs of broken systems, but signs of systems working exactly as designed. The conversation also moves into higher education internationalization and global strategy, where competition for international students can mask deeper patterns of extraction and brain drain. We push on what ethical internationalization should demand from universities, and why EDI, representation, and data are not optional if we’re serious about equity. Dr. Hogarth also shares the striking story behind why she sometimes begins by saying, “I am Black,” and what that reveals about covert bias and “racism without racists” in professional spaces. If you care about anti-racism, systemic change, community development, and the future of Canadian universities, you’ll leave with sharper questions and a longer view of what progress really takes. Subscribe, share this conversation with someone who needs it, and leave us a review so more listeners can find Speak Up International. Video: https://youtu.be/AQwuGvof2LU Feel free to contact Dr. Hogarth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khogarth/ Thoughts on the podcast? Send us a text message. Support the show

    Racism Doesn't Survive By Accident

  3. Aug 18

    Black History In Canada Does Not Happen By Accident

    Black History Month in Canada feels permanent now, but it was never guaranteed. We talk with Rosemary Sadlier, researcher, author, and longtime leader with the Ontario Black History Society, about the unglamorous, determined work it took to move Black History Month from community celebration to national recognition. She walks us through the reality of advocacy before social media: missed deadlines, long-distance calls, mailed letters, and the patience to keep pushing even when no one replies.  If you care about African Canadian history, anti-racism education, or how public change actually gets made, her story lands hard. We invite you to view the podcast  https://youtu.be/74fRm18CamI?si=7Atno5ZqiboZ4X7_   Thoughts on the podcast? Send us a text message. Support the show

    Black History In Canada Does Not Happen By Accident

  4. Aug 10

    Meeting Black Youth Where They Are

    A kid is up at 7:30 a.m. for a program that starts at eight not because it’s trendy, but because it means a real meal, real coaching, and adults who actually listen. That’s the kind of front-line truth Kevin Francis brings to SpeakUP! International, and it’s why his work hits so hard. Kevin is a lifelong community supporter and activist, and he’s co-founded Diversified Youth Initiative to build supports around what families say they need, not what a system assumes they need. We talk about the hidden depth of youth poverty in Canada, and why “subsidized” still isn’t affordable when the choice is groceries or rent. Kevin breaks down how free basketball camps in Cambridge, Ontario combine sports, nutrition, and life skills, with partners like Spice Sisters Personal Chef Services helping provide nutritious, culturally respectful meals including halal options. We also dig into wraparound services that cut through red tape, from quick resume support and employment help to financial literacy, mentoring, and access to counselling or dietitians, delivered in community spaces, online, or by phone so families aren’t forced to travel and wait. The conversation expands beyond sports into arts and music through Bring the Beat Back in Little Jamaica, plus the Ski School Project at Blue Mountain, where youth get gear, instruction, meals, and exposure to job opportunities. Kevin also names the disconnect between politics and lived reality, challenges communities to unify and “look back” after success, and shares the values that guide him when funding comes with strings attached.  If you care about community building, youth empowerment, mentorship, food security, and practical grassroots solutions, this one is for you. Subscribe, share, and leave a review, then tell us what barrier you think we should tackle first. Connect to Mr. Francis:  https://www.diversifiedyouth.com  Podcast Video Location: https://youtu.be/Yik8KQbaYlU Thoughts on the podcast? Send us a text message. Support the show

    Meeting Black Youth Where They Are

  5. Aug 5

    Black Storytelling Keeps Us Human

    Join us on SpeakUP! International for a deeply moving episode with Kwanza Msingwana! Kwanza opens with “Old Woman, Sing Me a Song,” a breathtaking spoken-word tribute to his mother who held on to her wisdom, resilience and grace. From there, we follow the poetry back to its origins and forward to our own responsibilities. In this episode, we explore: How a music-making trip to Jamaica completely reshaped his perspective on culture and gratitude.The heart of African oral tradition, where folktales, drumming, song, and poetry aren't separate lanes—they are one shared road.Why stories, rhythms, and a well-timed laugh can carry a lesson so much further than a lecture ever could.Whether you prefer to watch or listen, you won't want to miss this one! Available on all major audio platforms and full video streaming! Until then, enjoy our current collection of conversations: https://youtu.be/z7XttYl3dUA (video) Connect with  Kwanza Msingwana using the following link: https://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/en/files/kwanzamsingwanapng-1 Thoughts on the podcast? Send us a text message. Support the show

    Black Storytelling Keeps Us Human

  6. Jul 27

    Nana Dei: Black Strength & Resistance

    “I don’t see colour” can sound polite, but Nana Dei calls colourblindness an insult and explains why: the problem isn’t colour; it’s the meaning and power we attach to it. We talk about what it takes to teach with critical consciousness in Canada, where anti-Black racism, colonial history, and school gatekeeping still shape who feels valued, safe, and seen.  Nana Day, a globally recognized University of Toronto OISE professor and advocate for Black African Canadian education, connects anti-racism education to anti-colonial thought, African indigeneity, and the responsibilities we owe our communities.  Nana Day tackles the backlash to “wokeness” and critical race theory, arguing that anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic, and anti-classist education is not a “special interest” but the common good.  If you want sharper language for talking about race, decolonization, and equity in schools, and real guidance for teachers who aim to be “warriors” for marginalized students, press play. Subscribe, share this conversation with an educator, and leave a review with one idea you want schools to act on next. You can view this podcast using the following link: https://youtu.be/Wja37mZhOvQ Connect to Nana Dei: https://discover.research.utoronto.ca/3369-george-js-dei Thoughts on the podcast? Send us a text message. Support the show

    Nana Dei: Black Strength & Resistance

  7. Jul 20

    EQUITY WORK: Stop treating everyone the same

    A lot of people say they support equity, diversity, and inclusion, but far fewer are willing to challenge the systems that keep producing the same unequal outcomes. We’re joined by Dr. Ardavan Eizadirad, assistant professor in Ontario teacher education and executive director with YACE in Toronto’s Jane and Finch community, to talk about what real EDI work looks like when it’s grounded in service, accountability, and lived experience. Dr. Eizadirad shares practical examples from campus and community settings: student-led coalition-building, pronoun practices, educator resource lists, culturally reflective programs, and the importance of representation in Ontario’s teaching workforce for student belonging. We also get honest about the personal cost of the work and why going back to community is a strategy for healing, guidance, and sustainability. If you care about equity in education, community-based prevention, indigenization, or how to create systemic change that lasts, this one will give you language and next steps. Subscribe, share this with someone doing the work, and leave us a review with one idea you want your school or workplace to act on next. View the podcast using the following link: https://youtu.be/fdkcE77k1eA Thoughts on the podcast? Send us a text message. Support the show

    EQUITY WORK: Stop treating everyone the same

  8. Jul 13

    Dwayne Morgan: STORY BEHIND THE MISSION.

    What is it like when decades of hard work & isolation suddenly become public recognition (Order of Ontario)? For decades, Dwayne Morgan was building a life of private sacrifice before the public recognition of his achievements. In our latest episode, legendary spoken word poet and community leader Dwayne Morgan sits down with us to pull back the curtain on long-game creativity. From building culture in Scarborough and across Toronto to pioneering equity work, Dwayne opens up to Rita and me about what it’s really like to build a vision before it becomes popular. Artist, Educator, and Change Makers – this conversation is for you! Watch the full episode now! Video: https://youtu.be/oB_1BZm0lXA Subscribe, share with someone who is starting out and needs a push, and leave a review with the line or lesson that has resonated with you! Video channel: https://bit.ly/speakuppodcastvideo Audio channel: www.speakuppodcast.ca You can reach Dwayne Morgan using the following link: https://www.dwaynemorgan.ca/ Thoughts on the podcast? Send us a text message. Support the show

    Dwayne Morgan: STORY BEHIND THE MISSION.
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5
out of 5
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About

SpeakUP! International Inc. is your go-to podcast for inspiring stories, insightful interviews, and educational content that empowers listeners. Join us as we delve into diverse topics with a focus on uplifting black and brown voices, promoting creativity, and fostering personal and professional growth. 

Information

  • Creator
    Ellington Brown
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    199
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 SpeakUP! International Inc.
  • Show Website
    SpeakUP! International Inc.