The Dr. Vibe Show™: Black Canada Talking™ – May 16, 2021
Black Canada Talking™ is a live online event that provides Black Canadians an opportunity to give their takes and POVs on stories that are of importance to them.
Our guest on the May 16, 2021 edition of Black Canada Talking™ was Phil Vassell.
Phil Vassell is the Artistic Director of the Sauga City Music Festival and Conference, and the Executive Director of the Toronto Urban Music Festival Incorporated, which produced TUMF and the IRIE Music Festival. He is the Co-founder/Publisher of Word Magazine, Canada’s award-winning Black culture magazine which was published successfully from 1992 to 2012. Phil is a Harry Jerome Award Winner for Excellence in Business (2000) for WORD Magazine alongside Donna McCurvin. Before this, Phil acquired years of experience in radio and television broadcasting as the Advertising Manager at CIUT 89.5 FM and a key contributor to the launch of U of T’s campus/community radio station in 1987, and as a researcher at CBC National TV News including as a reporter at CBC TV News Windsor. Phil studied Political Science at the University of Toronto.
During our conversation, Phil talked about:
– His childhood and family life living in Jamaica, moving to Toronto and thinking about his teachers/role models;
– His further education in Toronto going into commercial radio and later on working at CBC News Television;
– How his past knowledge and work helping him starting Word Magazine and the process behind the company;
– Walking away from Word Magazine and growing as a person and publisher;
– Working on the IRIE Music Festival and Toronto Urban Music Festival after walking away from Word Magazine;
– Reflecting on his life and career through music and art for the past 25 years;
– Canada needing to show more of Black History and preserving it while expressing it through education as well as art in society;
– Having Black representation within Canadian media;
– Using social media to illustrate more of the Black community and news;
– Some thoughts regarding the news and media within Canada.
You can contact Phil via: [email protected]
Watch the full conversation:
Listen to the audio-only version:
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