Amanda Parris highlights Black stories in For the Culture — here are 9 books to take the conversation further
The 6-episode docuseries is streaming now on CBC Gem
The CBC Gem point-of-view documentary series For the Culture with Amanda Parris is a personal documentary series where Amanda Parris embarks on a revelatory journey into important stories affecting Black people around the world.
Parris is the series host, creator and executive producer — For the Culture with Amanda Parris examines timely topics such as reparations, Black maternal health, the business of Black hair and more.
Streaming now on CBC Gem, For the Culture with Amanda Parris was a labour of love for the Canadian writer, host and broadcaster; she told CBC Books that the series is for people who are "interested in engaging conversations that go a little deeper than we usually get to go."
And once you've finished watching, Parris recommended the following list of books to check out, all by Black writers, academics and important figures featured in For the Culture with Amanda Parris.
"This reading list gives you a sense of the expertise within our communities around these particular topics," said Parris. "I think that they'll do exactly what we hope the show does as well too, which is provide you with more perspective and new language — and hopefully leave you with better questions than what you started with."
Black Boys Like Me by Matthew R. Morris
In his collection of eight personal essays, Black Boys Like Me, Matthew R. Morris examines his own experiences with race and identity throughout childhood into his current work as an educator in Toronto. Morris is the son of a white mother and immigrant Black father, and grew up striving for academic success whilst confronting Black stereotypes and exploring hip hop culture in the 1990s
Morris is featured in the third series episode A Failing Grade which sees Parris travelling within the U.K., the U.S. and Canada to question why Black children frequently fall through the cracks in these public education systems.
"The book is a fascinating look into the inspiration, motivation, challenges and reflections of a teacher," said Parris. "Morris is a Black male educator, which is something we don't regularly get to see and hear, particularly in the Canadian context. It's also [written in] a coming-of-age memoir style as well, which is really powerful."
Beauty in a Box by Cheryl Thompson
Cheryl Thompson is a Canadian academic and author known for studying the Black beauty industry in Canada. She is an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University in the school of performance. In Beauty in a Box, Thompson examines the politics of Black hair and the role of media, retail, and consumers in Canada's Black beauty culture.
Thompson is featured in the episode The Business of Black Hair, which explores the multi-billion dollar Black hair industry.
"[In the episode] Thompson provides this incredible global, historic and wide-reaching context in exploring why [this industry] so rarely provides success and profit for the Black women that invest their dollars into it," said Parris. "She wrote this book several years ago, but there's still so much in it that is relevant today."
A Quick Ting On: The Black Girl Afro by Zainab Kwaw-Swanzy
Zainab Kwaw-Swanzy is an U.K.-based author, model and product manager. Her book A Quick Ting On: The Black Girl Afro uses anecdotes from Black women to highlight the cultural history of Black hair.
Kwaw-Swanzy is also featured in The Business of Black Hair series episode.
"She's our other [Black hair industry] expert, but specifically from the U.K. context. It was important for us to illustrate the global reach of this industry. She provides this really great and insightful history lesson on black hair in the U.K. I think a lot of us consume so much pop culture and literature from the United States so she [gives us a look] into a world that maybe a lot of us on our side of the Atlantic don't get to see," said Parris.
Cack-Handed by Gina Yashere
Gina Yashere is a British comedian, actor and writer. Her memoir Cack-Handed uses humour to tell a story of growing up as a child of Nigerian immigrants in working class London, becoming an engineer and following her passion to becoming a successful stand-up comedian.
Yashere is featured in the first series episode titled Diaspora Wars, which explores the geographic and generational conflicts that occur within Black communities.
"Yashere is a brilliant comedian, producer and writer. She wrote this memoir that follows her journey. She spoke with us about a lot of different things, including in her challenges connecting to Nigeria, which is where her family is from, but not where she was raised," said Parris.
"It's kind of a painful story, but because it's Yashere, she tells it in such a funny way — and a way that I think a lot of people can relate to."
Horizon, Sea, Sound by Andrea A. Davis
Andrea A. Davis is an writer, editor and associate professor in the department of humanities at York University. In the book Horizon, Sea, Sound, Davis uses the tropes of horizon, sea, and sound to examine themes of nationalism, race, colonialism and the hierarchical nuclear family.
Davis is also featured in the Diaspora Wars series episode.
"Davis is an expert in the episode. She's also the teacher that changed my life," said Parris. "She teaches at York University. When I was thinking about all the different layers that we wanted to explore, she seemed like the perfect person to really articulate it in a way that is understandable. In all of her work, she delves deeply into diaspora, into the layers of identity, the layers of who we are and how we position ourselves in the world and how we see the world."
No Bootstraps When You're Barefoot by Wes Hall
Wes Hall's memoir No Bootstraps When You're Barefoot traces his childhood in Jamaica where he was raised by his grandmother and experienced abuse at the hands of his mother to his move to Canada where he eventually went on to become a major entrepreneur and philanthropist. Starting out in a law firm mailroom, Hall's resilience paved the way for his life as a business leader while the roadblocks he faced, including racism and discrimination, forged his commitment to justice.
Hall is featured in The Glass Cliff episode, which explores Black leadership, success, failure and the nature of power dynamics.
"Hall has written No Bootstraps When You're Barefoot about his journey to become one of the most successful CEOs in Canada," said Parris. "We spoke to him about what it means to be one of the few and only people in his position, the isolation that can come from that, the ways that he's trying to intervene and to make space for more Black leaders in a productive, powerful and purposeful way."
It's the Healing of the Nation by David Comissiong
David Comissiong is a Vincentian-born political activist, critic and author. He is currently the Barbados ambassador for CARICOM, a political and economic union of 15 member states throughout the Americas and Atlantic Ocean. In the book It's the Healing of the Nation, Comissiong states the case for repairing the damage done and addressing the injustice inflicted on Africa and people of African descent as a result of centuries of slavery, slave trade and colonialism.
Comissiong is interviewed in the Reparations episode, which looks at a renewed global call for reparations and how this movement is making connections to the climate crisis.
"Comissiong has been working on the issue of reparations for decades. We went to Barbados and interviewed him there and spoke to him about the incredible journey that Barbados is on in recently becoming a republic and being a leading figure in the global reparations movement, particularly in the region of the Caribbean," said Parris.
Honey and Spice and Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola
Bolu Babalola is London-based bestselling novelist of Nigerian heritage. She is the author of the debut novel Honey and Spice and story collection Love in Colour. Both books use elements of humour, love and romance to explore gender and relationship dynamics between Black characters.
Babalola is featured in the Diaspora Wars series episode.
"Babalola is one of my favourite interviews in the series," said Parris. "It was a roundtable conversation with a group of cultural leaders and creators in London where we're eating food and talking about a ton of different things. She's so smart, so articulate, and her book Love in Colour is this beautiful collection of short stories where she takes these myths from all over the world, particularly in the continent of Africa.
"She retells them into these romance stories that feel very familiar and really beautiful."
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
