Setting the Table for Season 2

Black On The Prairies is a multiplatform project led by CBC Saskatoon journalist Omayra Issa and CBC Radio host Ify Chiwetelu, supported by CBC's Being Black In Canada project. Launched in collaboration with CBC Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, Black On The Prairies is a collection of articles, personal essays, images, audio stories and more, exploring the past and present lives of Black people on the Prairies. Find out more at cbc.ca/blackontheprairies

Martine and Isabelle discuss the defining moment that led to this season and talk to Roxane Gay, best-selling author and New York Times opinion contributing writer, about the burden of being Black in media and the responsibility of the op-ed.

Are the most crucial demands to address systemic racism being heard? In a challenging and necessary conversation, Andray Domise, contributing writer at Maclean’s magazine, tells Martine and Isabelle why he thinks they’re not.

Renowned Ethiopian-Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson shares his love and fear of being Black in America and his plans to transform food media, including the embattled Bon Appétit magazine.

Martine and Isabelle meet Toronto’s Saron Gebresellassi and Montreal’s Balarama Holness, two aspiring mayors using the law and municipal politics to fearlessly create a future free of systemic racism.

Martine and Isabelle reflect on the role of art in social movements with George Mpanga a.k.a. George the Poet, the British spoken word artist behind the critically-acclaimed BBC series "Have You Heard George’s Podcast?" Mpanga waxes poetic about what binds the Black diaspora, the untapped potential of rap music and how rhymes can change the world.

The very first Black Lives Matter presence outside of the U.S. began with Sandy Hudson in 2014. Martine and Isabelle look at how far the movement has come in Canada with Hudson, and take the time to really understand what defunding the police and abolition mean with Robyn Maynard, author of “Policing Black Lives”.

The NBA, WNBA, Premier League and several other sports leagues have been unequivocal about their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The NHL, however, has been quieter than most. Martine and Isabelle talk to Ottawa Senators forward Anthony Duclair about what it’s like to be a Black hockey player, and they bring journalist Salim Valji to the table to discuss why racism remains one of hockey’s most taboo topics.

Martine St-Victor and Isabelle Racicot return to the table for a heart-to-heart talk about the ripple effects of George Floyd’s death, the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the challenges of talking about race in Quebec, Canada and beyond.

Friends Martine St-Victor and Isabelle Racicot are back for intimate and urgent conversations with influential guests from politics and sports to pop culture and activism. Season 2 starts August 27.