During Black History Month, Wordfest Calgary has endeavoured to spark conversations around reparations and what that term means to Canadians today.
Toronto-via-Alberta’s Desmond Cole is the author of Canada’s best-selling non-fiction book of 2020, The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power. As Calgary’s Wordfest describes it, the book punctures “the bubble of Canadian smugness and naïve assumptions of a post-racial nation.”
On February 25, Cole takes part in Wordfest’s The Way We Make Reparations, a panel discussion featuring fellow writers Koa Beck and Frederick Joseph. All three panellists have penned best-selling books that are essential reads for anyone committed to the work of being anti-racist.
Over the last few years, CKUA’s own Vish Khanna has connected with Desmond for fruitful conversations about his work. Vish reached Desmond in Toronto to discuss his participation in this Wordfest event and what making reparations means for Canadians.