1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Thanks for joining me for another episode of YQG In Bloom. 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:15,960 I'm your host, Tracy Martens, and today we are continuing our Black History Month with 3 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:24,640 Carlos Anthony, who not only wrote the new play for Act Theatre called The Price of Freedom. 4 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,280 He's also the star in it, which is amazing. 5 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:30,280 We're going to get to that in a moment. 6 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:39,520 And I have Elise Harding-Davis, who is one of the most knowledgeable women in Canadian 7 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:40,520 Black History. 8 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:42,240 You know a little bit of everything. 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,720 I have pages on her. 10 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:45,720 Hello. 11 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:51,240 Okay, Carlos, you have done everything between producer, director, screenwriter. 12 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,440 You're an author, and now you wrote for the stage. 13 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:59,280 What made you want to get into that? 14 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:05,680 I've always loved theatre and had an appreciation for it, but never had the confidence to dive 15 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:06,680 into it. 16 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:12,320 I've always wanted to seek like mentorship, just like advance in my practice. 17 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:19,560 And I've just been fortunate to be on Irene Moore-Davis' heart and mind when this opportunity 18 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:24,640 came to collaborate with the Act Collective. 19 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,280 Who came up with the idea for the John Anderson story? 20 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,640 Well actually, it's interesting how that happened. 21 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,000 So originally when they had reached out to me, I was like, let me see if I can find you 22 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,560 somebody else to write this, because I have no experience in theatre, and I just wanted 23 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,560 to meet expectations. 24 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,400 Then Moira Chris, Shelley and myself went on a date. 25 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:52,040 We went to the Amasburg Freedom Museum, and there I was able to learn a little bit about 26 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:53,800 black Canadian history. 27 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:59,880 And I'd watched this video, this YouTube video, that the Freedom Museum has. 28 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:03,760 And John Anderson's story was the one that like piqued my interest. 29 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:09,000 With my experience, just learning about like the Underground Railroad transatlantic slave 30 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:15,160 trade, it's always been very triggering and traumatic for me, especially being one of 31 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:20,080 like three black kids in my classes or in my elementary school. 32 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,480 When we would hear those stories, I would just want to like hide underneath my desk, 33 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:28,040 because everyone looked at me as if I was an enslaved person. 34 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:34,320 So when I learned about John Anderson's story, a man who like murdered a slave owner and 35 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:39,160 bounty hunter in self-defense and lived to tell about the story, I just thought that 36 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,280 this was a story that needed to be told. 37 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:48,800 But because he also changed our laws in Canada, the Webster Ashbury Act or treaty, and it 38 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,200 affected the way that the British governed us. 39 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,640 It also affected our relationships with the Americans. 40 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:58,360 And shortly after the trial, we went into the Civil War. 41 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:03,440 So I just thought it was super cool and writing it as like a spy thriller, rather than a triggering 42 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:08,200 traumatic story like most of the stories I had watched or learned about growing up. 43 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:12,720 I just thought it was super important and that it could change the perspective of many 44 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,600 other youth, including my son, who's in the room with us today. 45 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:21,120 I'm really glad that you said that, that you're doing it as like a spy thriller, because 46 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:27,120 I mean, stories like that are so profound and heavy-hearted. 47 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,600 But I mean, this has a really great ending for it. 48 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:36,880 He did a lot for black Americans, Canadians in general. 49 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,960 And it needs to be told without tissues in hand. 50 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:47,960 And then we have Elise here, who you ran the Amosburg Freedom Museum for how many years? 51 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:48,960 32. 52 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:49,960 Wow. 53 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:56,280 Yeah, it was mind and world changing for me. 54 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:01,920 Opposite to Carlos, truthfully, I was always very proud of being especially a descendant 55 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:03,720 of escaped slaves. 56 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:09,080 These were people who got up and walked away with nothing, to nothing, and made something. 57 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:16,200 And the John Anderson story is special because he was here in this community when he first 58 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,560 escaped from slavery. 59 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:24,320 So when I heard that a play was being written, one of the museum board members asked me to 60 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:32,160 come to the first act program that was deciding who was going to be what and what was going 61 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:33,440 to be where. 62 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:34,440 And I said, oh, good. 63 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,240 Yeah, sure, I'll do that. 64 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:41,000 And I listened and I thought Carlos had done an amazing job. 65 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:49,720 But there were little facets being a perfectionist and an historian that I wanted him to chat 66 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:55,400 with me about and see if we could make a more impactful presentation. 67 00:04:55,400 --> 00:05:03,160 I'm looking at everything that you have done to help the black community in Canada is just 68 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:04,160 amazing. 69 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:05,160 Let alone Windsor. 70 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:12,840 And you're still continuing on with that legacy, which is just I find it just fascinating. 71 00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:16,120 I think that I was God chosen. 72 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:22,600 I've had the opportunity to do so many things that I wanted to do again, like Carlos in 73 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:28,880 class, the only era of black history that was dealt with with slavery. 74 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:34,120 I came from a family and heard all kinds of different stories, and I knew that that was 75 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:35,320 not correct. 76 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:40,360 I was a little black kid in the front row, the egghead with the glasses with my hand 77 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:41,560 up. 78 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,960 And I'd always be told, well, thank you, Elise, not today. 79 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,920 I was never satisfied with that. 80 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:55,480 I had the opportunity from God knows where to become the curator of a museum that dealt 81 00:05:55,480 --> 00:06:01,840 with black history and helped to legitimize us globally. 82 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:03,680 And that's what I've been doing. 83 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:10,960 I'm really honored that my interests asked me and trusted me with the story of the making 84 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:12,960 of the place of freedom. 85 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:20,560 And I was able to do the podcast at the Amesburg Freedom Museum, which I had no idea even existed. 86 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:26,280 I was blown away when I went there, and I'm really glad that they weren't ready for us 87 00:06:26,280 --> 00:06:27,600 when we went there. 88 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:34,960 And I was able to just look at everything, and it was very, very emotional for me. 89 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:41,240 And you, Carlos, you are the author of the Global Student Reading List in National Best 90 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:43,920 Seller Shades of Black. 91 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:47,240 Can you give me a little hint as to what that's about? 92 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:48,240 Yeah. 93 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:54,680 So I wrote Shades of Black, I would say, probably in like 2022. 94 00:06:54,680 --> 00:07:01,280 And it was just kind of a way for me to kind of like heal and process what my experiences 95 00:07:01,280 --> 00:07:03,040 were like in high school. 96 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:09,320 I grew up in Rexdale, and the story is about me transitioning from a predominantly white 97 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:14,280 school to a predominantly black school and experiencing culture shock. 98 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,320 The way that I grew up to give you context. 99 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:22,400 My parents, they migrated over here from Guyana, which is in South America. 100 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:27,920 And they worked really hard to make sure that I had every privilege. 101 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:33,200 But whenever I tried to get closer to my Guyanese heritage and culture, they would mock me and 102 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:38,400 tease me, and it kind of like just pushed me away. 103 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:44,520 So I started to kind of become like an elitist, even though I didn't feel accepted by my white 104 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,160 peers. 105 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:52,280 And then coming to this like black school, especially what they're being like, you know, 106 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:58,280 Crips and Bloods and kids that are Caribbean or from Caribbean descent, and then kids that 107 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:01,680 are from Africa or African descent. 108 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:05,960 It was just, I was really just trying to like fit in. 109 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:10,640 And I feel like there are a lot of kids that are trying to fit in when they go into like 110 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,680 high school as far as like different cliques and crews. 111 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:21,320 So the story is about me as a teenager that's transitioning, trying to like fit in and navigate 112 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,320 like the Crips and the Bloods in the school. 113 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,840 And you also have a sequel or is it coming out? 114 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:29,280 So I do have a sequel. 115 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:30,280 It is coming out. 116 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,240 It was it was actually supposed to come out last year for Black History Month because 117 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:39,120 I'm like, this is a great opportunity to, you know, build on the momentum of black stories. 118 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:45,800 But due to creative differences, it's been pushed and hopefully it'll be out this year. 119 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:46,800 I don't know the exact date. 120 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,600 They have a placeholder date for now. 121 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:54,920 But the second book really focuses on more of the turf war between the Crips and the 122 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:56,160 Bloods. 123 00:08:56,160 --> 00:09:05,640 And Romero, who is basically me, him trying to not join a gang but being pressured into 124 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:06,640 it. 125 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:07,640 I can't wait to read that. 126 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,040 It sounds really, really fascinating. 127 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,080 When did you co-found Millennial X? 128 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:18,840 Because it just seems your story just keeps growing and growing and you've done so much 129 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:19,840 as well. 130 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:20,840 Yeah. 131 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:23,480 So Millennial X, it's interesting. 132 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,800 It started in 2022. 133 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:31,880 And how that started was I had bad mentorship. 134 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:38,080 I had, the people that had mentored me that led to me eventually getting a book deal, 135 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:43,600 I had gotten them $135,000. 136 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:49,440 And as soon as the money came, our relationship changed. 137 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:55,000 So I didn't get paid what I was supposed to get paid out of the project. 138 00:09:55,000 --> 00:10:00,000 And they were looking for someone to kind of replace me, like behind my back. 139 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,680 So what I was doing was I was actually practicing everything that I had learned from other mentors 140 00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:07,360 that were mentoring me in filmmaking. 141 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:15,960 And a friend of mine over, he works at CBC, but we had worked together in HR prior. 142 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,640 And he was just seeing everything I was doing on social media and social media makes you 143 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,280 look bigger than you actually are. 144 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:25,800 So he reached out to me and he's like, we're actually looking to connect with artists in 145 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:27,200 the community. 146 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,600 And because we know how challenging it would be for us to compete with Netflix and Paramount 147 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:33,600 and the bigger networks. 148 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:41,360 So he said, we have this fund and it's not being used the way that it should. 149 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,200 Do you think that there could be an opportunity for us to collaborate? 150 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:52,240 So I told my writing partner at the time who became my business partner about the opportunity. 151 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:54,680 She came up with this proposal. 152 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:56,440 We pitched it to them. 153 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:59,640 And that's how Millennial X was created. 154 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,120 And how is it going so far? 155 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:06,600 It's been hard to manage because I am a full-time artist. 156 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:11,600 I was very fortunate last year to receive a grant from the Canada Council to tour across 157 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:14,480 Canada for Shades of Black. 158 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:18,240 So that made it very hard to manage it. 159 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:19,840 She's still like managing it. 160 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:25,360 And we also have Andrina Hoffordon, who is also helping to like manage it. 161 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:29,440 I've also been awarded like other grants to do like other productions that I've been 162 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:32,200 trying to manage as well. 163 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:37,520 Last year I directed like my first short film before I was just like writing and ghost writing 164 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:39,240 for like other people. 165 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:41,240 So it's just been hard to manage. 166 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:42,400 But we've done great work. 167 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:44,360 We did Nuwee Blanche last year. 168 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:51,520 Had thousands of people show up where we collaborated with BIPOC artists throughout Canada. 169 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,040 And we allowed them to screen their films in front of thousands of people. 170 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:57,920 And that was their second year doing that. 171 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:06,720 And to this day we've helped hundreds of people basically learn how to write a project, package 172 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,760 it, produce it. 173 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,120 And we connect them right to the broadcaster so they have an opportunity to pitch it. 174 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,080 For me, I just believe it being a one-stop shop. 175 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:21,240 And I think the problem with so many of these like mentorship programs is you learn one 176 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,400 thing but then there's no opportunity afterwards. 177 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:28,720 It's part of the reason why I love Act Windsor so much because you write a play with them 178 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,400 and then you actually get to see it live on the stage. 179 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:32,800 And we're so aligned on that. 180 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:38,520 And I'm so grateful to Chris and Moia and Irene for even connecting me with them. 181 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:44,800 And now I want to talk to Elise because I have pages and pages of stuff that you have 182 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,720 done on top of the Amesburg Freedom Museum. 183 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:54,040 I'm reading here and Elise, you have an impressive volume of work. 184 00:12:54,040 --> 00:13:00,080 Well the base is anything black related I'm interested in. 185 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:08,080 And we'll research, interview, write, mull over and improve. 186 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,920 And it's just an ongoing life. 187 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:13,920 I've been all over the world. 188 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:19,760 But really the basis of what I do and why I do it is because I'm proud of my African 189 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:20,760 origins. 190 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,760 And your seventh generation. 191 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:26,080 Seventh generation Canadian. 192 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,560 Family's been here since 1798. 193 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:31,360 We are Canada. 194 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:39,120 Any facet of history that a person would like to look into, blacks have been involved and 195 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:44,440 have contributed so much that's just been overlooked. 196 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:48,520 And I intend for it to be looked at. 197 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:49,720 That's my life. 198 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:50,960 Have you written any books? 199 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:51,960 I have. 200 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,280 I've written several books and co-authored several. 201 00:13:55,280 --> 00:14:03,000 In fact I'm researching a book right now on the Essex County area process called the 202 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:10,240 Refugee Home Society Group which involved Henry Bibb and his wife Mary and American 203 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:17,360 through Anthropists who helped refugee slaves settle in Essex County. 204 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,000 And it's fascinating. 205 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:26,920 It's just absolutely fascinating what people went through to get here, what they did once 206 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:31,400 they got here and how we have progressed to today. 207 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:35,880 Now you wrote the Black Presence in the War of 1812? 208 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,160 Yes I did. 209 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:43,840 1812 was a defining year in British Canadian history. 210 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:47,880 So fast forward 200 years, 2012. 211 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:53,120 There were little snippets, historica, so on and so forth but nothing about the black 212 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:54,120 presence. 213 00:14:54,120 --> 00:15:00,840 So I said well, I sat down and in a month and a half I wrote the book. 214 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:06,680 Trying to help people understand our early presence here in Canada, we didn't start with 215 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:11,880 the Underground Railroad, we started the Underground Railroad. 216 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:19,880 From the late 1700s on through we were here and blacks fought in all the major confrontations 217 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:24,620 on the North American continent including the War of 1812. 218 00:15:24,620 --> 00:15:31,880 And so I segmented it by province and I featured a few black heroes because Canadians don't 219 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,120 do heroes. 220 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:42,800 One being John Hall, John Daddy Hall who was born in Amasburg of a full blood Indian father 221 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:46,200 and escaped black mother. 222 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:49,000 And his story is phenomenal. 223 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,680 It's something that a play could be done on quite easily. 224 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:56,520 We'll have to put that in the Jizoo books. 225 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:58,240 Which is so, it's just growing. 226 00:15:58,240 --> 00:15:59,480 It is. 227 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:08,240 I mean like that picture in the Amasburg Freedom Museum of all of the black soldiers 228 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,040 in that one platoon. 229 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:18,880 That's the second battalion from the first World War and over 100, close to 150 men from 230 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:24,680 Windsor Essex County were in that battalion, phenomenal stories there too. 231 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,000 It's never ending, really. 232 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:28,960 Chris don't even look at me. 233 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:30,640 I see you. 234 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,160 Chris look at me, I'll talk to you. 235 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:36,800 He's just, I want to add more to my plate. 236 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:38,680 I'm already full. 237 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:39,920 I'm bloated. 238 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:41,560 You're never full. 239 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:43,360 You think you're full? 240 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:44,880 You're never full. 241 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:53,120 God, we could do probably about four podcasts just on the history of Elise here because 242 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:56,640 you've also done the African Canadian tour program. 243 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:57,720 That's correct. 244 00:16:57,720 --> 00:16:59,480 And you're still tour guide for that? 245 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:00,880 I am. 246 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:03,920 You know I've retired three times in my life. 247 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:04,920 Just like Michael Jordan. 248 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:09,880 And now that I'm retired, I'm busier than I was when I worked. 249 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:11,880 That's usually how it goes. 250 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:12,880 Yeah. 251 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:17,960 There's always something to do and there's always somebody calling me knocking on my door 252 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,760 tweeting me blah, blah, blah, blah. 253 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:22,760 Can you come and help with the play? 254 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,920 Elise, do you know anything about Elise? 255 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,560 Would you have time to? 256 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:35,960 And I really have a difficult time saying no because it's so important that black history 257 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,560 be given its proper place. 258 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,440 It's like this. 259 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:42,720 It's not like this. 260 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:46,960 We're not a whole bunch of militants hoping to be a part of the group. 261 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,400 We are the group. 262 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:50,400 That's how I see it. 263 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:51,400 I love it. 264 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,400 I love that. 265 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,200 And Carl, I see you are now acting. 266 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,440 You are the star in The Price of Freedom. 267 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:04,680 How is it acting your words? 268 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:09,240 It's challenging and unexpected. 269 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:12,800 When I wrote the play, I didn't write it to act in it. 270 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:18,240 I wrote it for other people to say those words and to act in it. 271 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:23,760 And for me, even as a writer, I'm like a method writer. 272 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:29,360 I've been writing a lot of projects so emotionally I'm on an emotional roller coaster because 273 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:34,360 I'm feeling all of these emotions as I'm creating all these characters. 274 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:41,120 Even preparing for this play, being angry, it just, I mean, obviously it's an emotion 275 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:42,360 that makes you feel upset. 276 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:47,760 But there are times when we're in rehearsal and I'm yelling at someone and then I just 277 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,120 feel like crying afterwards. 278 00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:57,680 And I know for like John, even though he's not here to speak to me, that he must have 279 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:03,200 been on an emotional roller coaster from having to leave Missouri to doing everything he had 280 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:04,800 to do to come to Canada. 281 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,240 And then after being in Canada, trying to fit in. 282 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:11,280 And then this is something that's happening to him when he's like 19 years old. 283 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:12,280 You know what I mean? 284 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,960 At 18, I had a child. 285 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:19,920 So I can only imagine what it's like to have to leave and then not want to repeat what 286 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:22,440 had been done to you. 287 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,280 I can only imagine. 288 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:29,840 So preparing for this role has been quite challenging because I do want to meet expectations 289 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:34,960 and this is my first time acting, period. 290 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:37,040 And dude, the hardest one on stage. 291 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:41,240 Yeah, like I was like, I thought about it when we were like, you know, looking to like 292 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:45,480 cast other roles and I was like, well, maybe I could be a protest, you know, start off 293 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:47,160 something small. 294 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:49,400 And then I guess God had other plans. 295 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,560 I wish he had sent me a text message eight months ago because maybe it would have been 296 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:55,760 a different conversation. 297 00:19:55,760 --> 00:20:00,200 But Chris has been incredible as a director. 298 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:05,800 The whole team really have like Christina Orlando has been great in just like encouraging 299 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,040 me and telling me that I'm doing a good job. 300 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:14,040 And Jackson has been giving me tips and some of the other actors like Jordan Youssef has 301 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,360 also been giving me some tips as well. 302 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:21,040 So it's just been I just been feeling so supported and my confidence is going up. 303 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:26,880 The more that I memorize my lines and the more that I work with like Chris and and everybody 304 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:27,880 else. 305 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:28,880 That's wonderful. 306 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:31,680 I can't wait to see this production. 307 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:33,240 I really can't. 308 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:41,760 And this is going to be in Windsor, Ontario, the Capitol Theatre on February 28th and March 309 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:51,280 1st at 7.30pm, I'm reading off of the thing here and March 2nd at 2pm, Capitol Theatre, 310 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:57,240 get online and get those tickets because this sounds like an amazing production. 311 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,080 I can't wait. 312 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:05,320 And I want to thank you both Carlos and Elise for being here today with me and sharing just 313 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:11,000 a smidgen of your stories because we could probably go on for another hour or two. 314 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:16,200 I can't tell you how proud I am to be involved in this podcast today. 315 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:25,840 It's like a combination of my dreams that a young black man has the ability not only 316 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:35,080 to write but to portray a history that happened right here and a young woman like yourself 317 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:42,960 to film this and make sure that the community is aware that something so wonderful is happening. 318 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:50,400 And by the way, the museum's 50th anniversary is this year, September 20th, not sure what 319 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:58,920 date the big event will be, but I'm so proud to still be alive to see some of the fruits 320 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:05,960 of my small endeavors come to something so wonderful. 321 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:11,840 And I'm very, very proud to be a part of this journey and to meet wonderful people like 322 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:18,520 you both and the people at the Amesburg Freedom Museum and to learn more about black history. 323 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:23,680 And I think that's probably why I've gotten so nervous when I've been doing these podcasts 324 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:32,840 is to make sure that I'm able to bring these stories out as well as what I can being that 325 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:37,480 I am less knowledgeable than what I probably should be. 326 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:43,720 And I'm glad that finally we are able to tell these stories and I appreciate you both and 327 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,560 I can't wait to see you Carlos on stage. 328 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:48,120 I will be there. 329 00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:49,120 Yes. 330 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:50,520 I'm doing my own stunts. 331 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:55,360 I'm jumping off of a boat and a train and doing all my own fight scenes. 332 00:22:55,360 --> 00:23:00,800 So it's a very new experience, but it's also a very incredible experience. 333 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:07,800 And I just want to say that I'm just thankful for Miss Elise for just providing me with 334 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:12,960 knowledge and information and just supporting me and just making sure that the story is 335 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:17,000 as authentic as it could potentially be. 336 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:18,160 I respect you. 337 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:23,960 I look at you as a legend and for me this is such an honor and a privilege that words 338 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:28,000 can't even be described or expressed in the dictionary. 339 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:33,880 So I'm just so grateful for you and so thankful that I have you supporting me with this project. 340 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,400 I hear your words and I appreciate it. 341 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:45,360 What I am is an old dinosaur full of ancient files to be used appropriately. 342 00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:50,120 There's no point in having knowledge if you're not willing to share it. 343 00:23:50,120 --> 00:23:55,640 And there's no point in sharing if you're not going to be honest. 344 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:57,280 And I'm very proud of you. 345 00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:58,280 Thank you. 346 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:07,160 And on that note, I am going to say thank you for allowing me to share the story and 347 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:12,840 I hope everybody learned something this month, Black History Month. 348 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:24,680 My name is Tracy Martins and this is YQ Jean Bloom.