What if you were sent to war armed not with a gun, but with a shovel and pickaxe?
In 1914, as the First World War erupted, thousands of Canadian men rushed to enlist. But when Black men stepped forward to serve, they were turned away. It was “a white man’s war,” they were told. Canada didn’t want a “checkerboard army.” What followed became one of the most powerful and overlooked chapters in Canadian and Black military history.
The Black Hum explores the remarkable story of No. 2 Construction Battalion: Canada’s only all-Black battalion during World War I. Through powerful storytelling, historical research, and untold accounts, this military history podcast reveals the resilience, courage, and lasting legacy of Black Canadian soldiers who served their country in the face of racism and rejection.
If you’re interested in Black history, Canadian history, the First World War, and military history, this podcast brings their voices back to life.
Follow The Black Hum now to discover the untold stories of courage, service, and resistance that shaped history.
*Download our Discussing Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Host Cindy Charles interviews author Yolanda T. Marshall about her book "Marching North," exploring the courage and resilience of Black Caribbean soldiers in Canadian history.
10 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Trials of E. Lionel Cross
In this episode, we chart the path of E. Lionel Cross — soldier, trailblazing Black lawyer, and civil-rights advocate — and his campaign to hold the Ku Klux Klan accountable after the Oakville cross burning and kidnapping. It is a story about the power of the courtroom and the unfinished work of justice in Canada.
*Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ)
Host Cindy Charles
Writer Nuruddin Qorane
Executive Producer Ryan Barnett
Associate Producer Cindy Charles
Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti
Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta
Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost
This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams
Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett
A Knockabout Media Production
This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
3 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
Rufus Rockhead: The Night's Most Important Man
In this episode, we trace the rise of Rufus Rockhead and the making of Rockhead’s Paradise — the club that became the epicentre of Montreal’s jazz scene. It’s the story of how one man’s ambition transformed a city’s nightlife and created a powerful space for music, community, and resistance.
*Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ)
Host Cindy Charles
Writer Nuruddin Qorane
Executive Producer Ryan Barnett
Associate Producer Cindy Charles
Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti
Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta
Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost
This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams
Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett
Featuring "Hello Montreal" performed by Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians
A Knockabout Media Production
This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
24 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Fighting Downeys
George Alexander Downey was a veteran of two world wars and the patriarch of one of Nova Scotia’s most storied families. From the forests of wartime France to the communities of North Preston, this is the story of his service, sacrifice, and the legacy he passed on to generations who would carry his fighting spirit into the boxing ring and beyond.
*Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ)
Host Cindy Charles
Writer Nuruddin Qorane
Executive Producer Ryan Barnett
Associate Producer Cindy Charles
Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti
Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta
Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost
This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams
Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett
A Knockabout Media Production
This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
17 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT
Hewburn Greenidge: The Dark Horse
A Black medical student. An all-Black battalion. A war that needed his skills but never fully recognized his service. In this episode of The Black Hum, we look at the life of Dr. Hewburn Greenidge as it stretched from British Guiana to Winnipeg to the timber camps of the Jura Mountains and back to the heart of the Amazon.
*Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ)
Host Cindy Charles
Writer Nuruddin Qorane
Executive Producer Ryan Barnett
Associate Producer Cindy Charles
Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti
Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta
Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost
This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Candace Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams
Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett
A Knockabout Media Production
This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
10 Feb 2026
Charlie Kelly Takes the Mound
In the season premiere of The Black Hum, we trace the extraordinary life of Charlie Kelly, a standout baseball player from Ingersoll, Ontario, and a member of Canada’s No. 2 Construction Battalion. From local ballfields to the First World War, Kelly’s story reveals how sport offered both escape and opportunity. The episode culminates in the legendary “Forestry Game,” where Kelly took the mound before a crowd that included the King of England, challenging racial barriers through sheer talent.
*Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ)
Host Cindy Charles
Writer Nuruddin Qorane
Executive Producer Ryan Barnett
Associate Producer Cindy Charles
Voice Director Sonia Gemmiti
Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta
Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost
This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Candace Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams
Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett
A Knockabout Media Production
This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
1 Feb 2026
Season 2 starts February 10
The Black Hum returns for a second season, tracing five lives that reflect the broader Black Canadian experience in the twentieth century. These include Rufus Rockhead, founder of Montreal’s legendary Rockhead’s Paradise nightclub; E. Lionel Cross, Toronto’s first Black lawyer and a key figure in early civil rights battles; Charlie Kelly, a barrier-breaking baseball player whose career unfolded across colour lines; Hewburn Greenidge, the first Black graduate of a Canadian medical school west of Ontario; and George Downey, patriarch of the Fighting Downeys boxing family. This season brings these overlooked lives into focus.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
25 May 2025
NEW! John Candy : The Lou Gehrig of Comedy
Ryan Barnett explores John Candy's early life in Toronto and his initial forays into children's theatre, leading to his pivotal Second City Toronto audition, showcasing the genesis of a comedic icon in this interview.
4 Feb 2025
10 Myths of No.2
In this, a special bonus episode of The Black Hum, we speak with historians Kathy Grant and Mathias Joost to untangle several often repeated myths about No.2 Construction Battalion.
*Download our Discussion Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ)
Written & Hosted by Cindy Charles
Produced by Ryan Barnett & Cindy Charles
Voice Director Sonia Gemmiti
Recorded by Tyler Rauman
This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Sgt. Craig Smith, Douglas Ruck, Lindsay Ruck, Mathias Joost, and Kathy Grant
Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett
Featuring a musical performance "How Great Thou Art" by Reeny Smith & Family
A Knockabout Media Production
This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
26 Dec 2024
New from Knockabout: Story Girl
Discover the life and legacy of L.M. Montgomery in this insightful 7-part podcast, in which we explore her childhood, literary journey, and the timeless impact of Anne of Green Gables on generations of readers.
In this episode, we explore the formative years of author Lucy Maud Montgomery. We delve into her early life in Prince Edward Island and discuss the influences and experiences that shaped her writing, including the loss of her mother and the complexities of growing up in a strict household. Join us as we uncover how Montgomery’s youth laid the foundation for her beloved novels.
Regional Mental Health Resources (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/suicide-prevention.html).
Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett
Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti
Associate Producers Maia Foster-Sanchez & Kristi Prophet
Recorded by Tyler Rauman
This series features interviews with Kate Macdonald Butler, Kate Scarth, Jessica Young, Laura Robinson & Yuko Matsumoto.
Additional voices by Candace Amarante & Matthew Barnett
A Knockabout Media Production
This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from the Government of Canada.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
25 Nov 2024
Resonance
Cindy Charles shares the remarkable story of Canada's only all-Black military unit during World War I, uncovering their legacy and untold stories of Black Canadian soldiers.
18 Nov 2024
The Notes of Endurance
It's 1915, and the Canadian Expeditionary Forces are taking heavy casualties. The growing need for more recruits leads Canadian military leadership to turn toward the very men they had previously barred from service.
*Download our Discussing Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ)
Written & Hosted by Cindy Charles
Produced by Ryan Barnett & Cindy Charles
Voice Director Sonia Gemmiti
Recorded by Tyler Rauman
This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Sgt. Craig Smith, Douglas Ruck, and Lindsay Ruck.
Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett
Featuring "I Want to Be Ready" & "Live a-Humble" by the Tuskegee Institute Singers
A Knockabout Media Production
This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
11 Nov 2024
Service Denied
In 1914, the Canadian government called on all able-bodied men to serve their country in the Great War. However, when Black men went to enlist, they were turned away. In this first episode in our new series, we look at those early years of the war, when Black Canadians found themselves having to fight for the right to fight.
*Download our Discussing Questions for your class* (https://2ly.link/20rMZ)
Written & Hosted by Cindy Charles
Produced by Ryan Barnett & Cindy Charles
Voice Director Sonia Gemmiti
Recorded by Tyler Rauman
This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Sgt. Craig Smith, Douglas Ruck, and Lindsay Ruck.
Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett
A Knockabout Media Production
This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
29 Oct 2024
*COMING SOON* The Black Hum
In 1914, the world was at war. Thousands of Canadian men rushed to their local enlistment centres, eager to join the fight. But, when Black men went to enlist, they were turned away. It was "a white man's war," they were told. Canada didn't want a "checkerboard army." What followed is a story of rejection and resilience, and of service in the face of bigotry.
From Knockabout Media, this is The Black Hum, a new 3-part series on the history and legacy of Canada's first all-Black battalion. First episode drops November 11.
Written & Hosted by Cindy Charles
Produced by Ryan Barnett & Cindy Charles
A Knockabout Media Production | Funded by Veterans Affairs Canada
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Inside a recent episode
Marching North with Yolanda T. Marshall
Published 30 Apr 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Yeah, I had a question about that, because you framed the story as a little girl talking with her auntie. So I was curious, how do you come to that decision as a framing device? Well, I wanted the auntie to represent, once again, someone that's giving a lesson. And I figured, you know what? Kathy Grant, there it is. She's a historian. She inspired that character. And I'm like, the person telling the story has to be knowledgeable enough to encourage this kid to want to learn more. So I figured, yes, this is a Bayesian auntie, and I'm a Bayesian heritager, and so is Kathy. I was like, okay, let's put a Bayesian auntie in here, who was a Canadian teacher and historian, and she's telling this young girl who visits her home, about these soldiers. […]
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