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The podcast series Ensemble / All Together
is a corporate content

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produced by CBC & Radio-Canada Media 
Solutions, Revenue Group.


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The views and opinions expressed in
this podcast

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are those of the speakers and do not
necessarily reflect the views or positions

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of CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions.

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Welcome to our third and last CBC English
episode of Ensemble / All Together,

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a bilingual podcast series where we aim to
share, discuss and facilitate

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authentic conversations in the
space of DEI

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and the media industry from multiple
perspectives.

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Partly brought to you by the
Media Solutions team

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at the CBC and Radio-Canada.

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My name is Veronica VanCooten

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and I will be your host for this episode

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recorded on the unceded Indigenous
territory of Tkaronto,

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also known as Toronto.

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I currently work at the CBC

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within the
Digital Revenue Optimization Team.

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I have worked in the media industry for
about 20 years,

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mainly in the digital space.

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I am Guyanese by birth

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and I have lived in Canada for over
45 years.

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I am married with two kids, and, I must
say, my kids are my biggest inspiration.

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They are my "why",
they teach me new things every day.

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Joining me today are two accomplished
guests in the entertainment industry

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who are gonna help me dive deep into
today's episode on

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leaving a legacy, empowering the next
generation of Black leaders.

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In an open and real conversation where we
get to know

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Morgan Blades, director of programming at
The Black Academy

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and Tse Daniel, director of operations at
The Black Academy

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and director of development at Bay Mills
development studios.

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Our first guest is Morgan Blades.

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A native of Pickering, Ontario,

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Morgan has worked in the travel industry,
entertainment, and sports,

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and graduated from Durham College with an
Advanced Diploma in Public Relations.

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This background is public relations has
provided her with a strong foundation

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for her work in brand management and
event planning,

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as well as her focus on social
media strategy.

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Morgan Blades is the current director of
programming at The Black Academy,

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where she is responsible for overseeing
the planning and execution

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of various programs and events.

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Before joining The Black Academy in 2020,

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Morgan launched her management agency,
The Blades Group,

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where she works as a brand manager,
providing creative direction

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brand and event management.

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Through her work at The Black Academy,

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Morgan's goal is to make a positive impact
on the Black community

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by creating opportunities for Black people

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to tell their own stories and celebrate
their culture.

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She's committed to promoting diversity and
inclusivity

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in all aspects of her work,

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and is passionate about empowering Black
individuals and communities

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through education and advocacy.

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Our second guest: Tse Daniel.

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Born and raised in Toronto,
Tse has worked in winter sports,

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music and community non-profits,

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and completed programs at Seneca and
Centennial College.

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This background has given Tse
a strong foundation

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and vast knowledge to run and operate

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his photography and production studio.

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With a decade of experience in community
programming,

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Tse Daniel has cemented his space in the
music, film and entertainment industry

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with big ideas and even bigger executions.

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As part of The Black Academy's team,

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Tse has shifted his focus to supporting
the Black film industry.

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By leveraging his experience,

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Tse is creating educational initiatives,
networking opportunities,

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business and talent development,
mentorship programs,

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and leading community outreach that will
provide opportunities

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for his community within the Canadian and
US entertainment industry.

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As the director of development at
Bay Mills Studios,

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Tse plans to continue to source, create,
package and pitch diverse stories

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for production in various formats.

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Tse will drive the Studio's vision to tell
unique Black stories

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while being committed to furthering the
art of meaningful commercial storytelling.

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Fun fact: Tse has visited over 40
countries

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and is prone to random travel adventures.

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Great Wall of China, anyone?

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Contrary to popular belief,
his first name is Tse, not Daniel.

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Hi Tse and Morgan! So happy to have you in
the studio with me.

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Thank you for joining me to have this
important conversation

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about legacy, Black empowerment...

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Thank you for joining us in the studio.

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Thank you for having us.
- Thanks for having us.

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So, let's just get right into it:

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Morgan, in your own words,

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can you please tell me about yourself
personally and professionally?

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Absolutely. So, my name is Morgan Blades.

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First and foremost, I'm a daughter,
a friend, a cousin, a sister,

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but most importantly, I am a Black woman.

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Personally, things that I like to do,
I love travelling,

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I love eating out with friends,

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I love, you know,
just wandering the streets of Toronto.

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And professionally, I'm the director of
programming at The Black Academy,

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where we uplift and inspire Black
Canadians.

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Amazing. So happy to have you here today.

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Tse?

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To tell you about myself... Born and
raised in Toronto.

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My parents are from two very, very small
Caribbean islands. One is Monserrat,

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and the other one is Saint Kitts
and Nevis.

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Grew up in Toronto,
I've always had a knack to be creative.

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I've worked for a bunch of organizations.
My proudest would be Manifesto.

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With them, I started volunteering.

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I started understanding that it was a
bigger picture to work in the community

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and I think that's where I get a lot of my
drive today.

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Fast-forward, you know, ten years working
with them to The Black Academy

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and working with Shamier and Stephan,

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I think a lot of those sentiments and
things that I've learned carried through

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to this, and in just a more
specific space.

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And then working with Bay Mills,
it kind of reignites my creativity.

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I get to work with different creatives

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driving the narrative on stories,

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thinking about super weird and cool ideas

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that, you know, ultimately I will
eventually see on screen.

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Amazing. No, that sounds exciting.

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How would you say your cultural background
has influenced your work?

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Tse?
- Wow. That's a good question.

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I think first and foremost my parents.

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Coming to this country, they definitely
had a very particular, very stern, very...

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motivating work ethic. You know,
my mom was a nurse.

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She worked crazy hours.

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You know, she'd work a 16,
sometimes 20-hour shift

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at two different jobs, come home and still
make, you know, help us do our laundry,

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and still had a family life, still made
the effort of taking us for dinner or,

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you know, popping up one day at school and
taking us for lunch.

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You know? She still made the effort to be
there. And my dad, the same thing.

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You know, they both made an effort to
be both...

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You know, professionally... Yeah,
so we could see them professionally,

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but you know, also making sure that the
home is always taken care of.

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And that's taught me that, you know,
anything is possible.

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You know, my mom came here with just
a suitcase.

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And now, we live, you know,
a Canadian life.

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Yeah. Same story with me, even, like...

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I was talking to my dad the other day

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and I don't think I've actually even
realized this, but when they first came

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from Guyana to Canada,

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my dad said he only had 20 dollars in
his wallet.

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Right? And to see that he built a life for
us, a good life for us,

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you know, within two years,
he was able to buy his first home

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in Brampton, Ontario.

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So it's just those little things that
motivate you,

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because if you see your parents work hard,

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we don't want to disappoint them, right?

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As kids of immigrants... I wasn't born
here, but you know what I mean?

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Like, you wanna do better. You wanna
show them that

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it was the reason why they sacrificed and
left their family

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from wherever they were,
and they came here.

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Morgan, same question to you:

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how would you think that your cultural
background has influenced you?

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I know you are born in Canada,
but your parents...

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Yeah, like I said,
my dad was born and raised in Jamaica

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and moved over to Canada, I think,
around age 13.

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Same with my mom : born in England,
raised in Saint-Vincent, and came here.

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You know, I've seen my parents day-to-day
and just like,

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how much hard work they put into
their career,

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and, like Tse was saying,

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I used to play soccer

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and my parents weren't able to show
because they were working,

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and, you know, they really
just showed me that with life,

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you have to just work very hard

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and I think their generation is also
different than my generation.

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They know, you know,
come into Canada and just work hard,

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and just keep working until it's time for
retirement.

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Whereas my generation is a little
different. We're kind of challenging

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those narratives and just really
trying to,

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you know, while still honouring our
parents and making sure they're happy,

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but also making we're happy,

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because I know my parents don't love
what they do

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but they just do it because they have to

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and they have to provide
for my sister and I.

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So that's how I would say my cultural
heritage has kind of shaped my story.

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Right. But I do like how now,
this generation, like...

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there is more, like,
a luxury and a freedom

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to maybe pursue something that

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as you said with our parents' generation,
it was just like

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a 9 to 5?
- Yeah.

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Right? It wasn't their dream job.

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Like, really, my dad is a plumber, right?

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Like, maybe if he was able, maybe

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he would've done something else, right?
- Yeah.

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I think that's a good question to ask him
when I go home.

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"What would you have done?" Right?

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So, as I indicated before, we do have a
professional relationship from previous.

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We know each other from working on
Legacy Awards.

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So, last year in September 2022...

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2022, we worked on... From a sales
perspective, I worked with Morgan and Tse

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to launch the inaugural Legacy Awards

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and that was an amazing opportunity.

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Everyone that was in that room that night
in September,

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they felt the magic,
right? You felt the buzz.

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You knew that you were part of something
big, something bold.

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There's gonna be nothing like that
first time.

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Right?
- Yeah, you know, it's an honour

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to sort of turn around and tell people
that that was the first inaugural,

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you know, televised Black award show
celebrating Black talent in Canada.

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It's something that
we should've had by now.

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Right. 100%.

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Morgan, what are you guys
hoping to achieve

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with The Black Academy
and the Legacy Awards?

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Absolutely. So with the Legacy Awards,
we really want to make sure

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that first and foremost, we're honouring
and celebrating Black comedians.

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It doesn't happen enough on grand scales.

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With the Legacy Awards, it's really
special because we are highlighting

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the achievements of people's lives.

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And also, most importantly,
we also want to show that

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this is possible, that you can get here.

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So for example, if there's a kid that's
watching the Legacy Awards in Kitchener

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that's an aspiring director that,
you know, one day, you can be here.

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So we just really want to inspire the next
generation to just work hard,

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and hopefully, you know,
spaces are created for them

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to just be able to flourish.

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Our cousin, America, they do it so well.

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You know, they've been able to create
incredible award shows and events,

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and I think Canada,
we're now kind of getting there.

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We are here to let people know

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that we are disrupting systemic racism
that's in Canada.

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Yeah, no, definitely.
And one thing that I really liked

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is how the Legacy Awards approached it.

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It wasn't just awards with entertainment
elements in mind, right,

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where sometimes traditionally Black people
are thought of.

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It was entrepreneurs, business,
mentorship.

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The Legacy Awards, right?

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So it's other things that Black Canadians
bring to our community, right?

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We are more than just entertainers.

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We are other people that have some
much more value

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and, you know, think of us in that light.

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I think another big thing about the award
show that's great is that

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we're tying to find an opportunity

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to celebrate the individuals
that are touching the stage.

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You know, Kardinal, who I feel has never
really had an opportunity

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to perform on national TV in Canada.

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Yeah. No, the pioneers, right?

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Like sometimes, you know,
we have the Drakes of the world,

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and the Weeknd, but bringing other artists
that have been putting their time

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within the community, but haven't been
able to get that recognition, right? Yeah.

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Yeah, that was very special.

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Yeah, Debra Cox, I mean...
- 100%.

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Love her.

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I mean, apart from
some of the last years,

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she's very rarely been seen on Canadian
television,

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so that's always a great accomplishment.

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Shamier and Stephan, as we indicated,
they created the Legacy Awards

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to celebrate Black excellence,

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and both of you, Morgan and Tse,

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I really do believe, you are the
definition of Black excellence, right?

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You bring it every day.

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Can you, Morgan, tell me what your
definition of Black excellence is?

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Yeah, my definition of Black
excellence is,

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you know, just showing up as yourself in
every room that you go to,

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and there will be rooms that you
question yourself

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being in, but it's, like,
you're here for a reason,

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and you might as well take advantage,
than just hold back.

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And always remain very personable and
professional.

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And just making sure that when you're in
those rooms, that you set the tone.

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And that's one of the things I noticed
from you right from the bat, right?

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So like, when you started joining
our conference calls

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for Legacy Awards, you were,
you know, new...

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- Very. And so nervous.
- New to the monitor of these squares.

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But, you know, at first, yes,
you were kind of assessing,

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but once you knew what you were doing,
you took charge.

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You took ownership and you were so
organized and put together

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and you commanded the room, right?
- Thank you, thank you.

00:14:08:16 00:14:12:02
We knew, if we wanted to get something
done, who do we go to?

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Ask Morgan. Cause she knew the answer,
she knew who to talk to

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and she'd be able to facilitate. So...

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She was our secret weapon.

00:14:19:03 00:14:19:29
Honestly!

00:14:19:29 00:14:22:12
And in those moments,
I was terrified, you know?

00:14:22:12 00:14:25:05
I was like,
"Am I the right person for this role?"

00:14:25:23 00:14:27:11
"Am I?" But then I was like,

00:14:27:11 00:14:29:00
"No, Morgan, you're here for a reason."
- You are.

00:14:29:00 00:14:31:14
So just, like, embody it, you know?
- Exactly.

00:14:31:14 00:14:34:19
Yeah. And I think sometimes we are our
biggest...

00:14:35:01 00:14:37:18
person that holds us back, right?
- Yeah.

00:14:37:18 00:14:41:03
If you're confident within yourself and
you know that you're capable of doing it,

00:14:41:28 00:14:44:02
own the room, as you said. Right?
- Yeah.

00:14:44:15 00:14:48:07
Tse, what would you say the definition of
Black excellence is to you?

00:14:48:07 00:14:50:07
Ooh, I'm the first person to say,

00:14:52:02 00:14:54:16
"Be unapologetically Black."

00:14:55:15 00:14:57:20
I've grown up in various
different industries

00:14:57:20 00:14:59:21
that weren't predominantly black

00:15:00:03 00:15:03:10
and, you know, you want to shy away...

00:15:03:10 00:15:05:23
I've had cornrows since high school,

00:15:06:07 00:15:08:06
you know, and that's part of me

00:15:08:06 00:15:10:13
and there's a lot of debate out there

00:15:10:13 00:15:14:01
about appropriate workplace hairstyles and
things like that...

00:15:15:02 00:15:17:09
And being who you are,

00:15:18:00 00:15:21:04
not having to spend a bit of your energy

00:15:21:04 00:15:25:09
refocusing on your look or your mannerisms
or even your diet...

00:15:25:27 00:15:30:01
I think being you and unapologetically so
is the definition.

00:15:30:27 00:15:31:29
I love that.

00:15:32:18 00:15:35:05
I'm just gonna let it sit there for a
while. You know why?

00:15:35:05 00:15:37:01
Because it is true, right?
- Yeah.

00:15:37:01 00:15:41:00
Don't change yourself, right,
because that's to...

00:15:41:00 00:15:43:19
A lot of times when you are being
interviewed for a job

00:15:43:19 00:15:45:10
or a position or something like that

00:15:46:23 00:15:49:26
they should be accepting you as
who you are.

00:15:49:26 00:15:51:28
1000%.
- And that's the value.

00:15:51:28 00:15:54:20
I'm not naming names or anything,
but I know...

00:15:55:03 00:15:58:23
In my previous life,
I was working with a GM

00:15:59:14 00:16:01:11
and he had an MBA,

00:16:01:11 00:16:03:26
and he thought everyone
should have an MBA

00:16:03:26 00:16:06:07
and that was the only way
to succeed, right?

00:16:06:25 00:16:09:09
But then he realized that, you know what?

00:16:09:09 00:16:12:04
You need to have different perspectives
and different thoughts

00:16:13:03 00:16:16:28
within an organization, because that's the
only way that you're gonna see

00:16:17:16 00:16:20:08
like, change, and differences.

00:16:20:08 00:16:22:16
And you'll be able to
service clients better

00:16:22:16 00:16:24:18
when you do have different perspectives.

00:16:40:23 00:16:44:23
One of the things that I know is really
important within The BlackAcademy

00:16:44:23 00:16:46:23
is the skills development program.

00:16:47:06 00:16:49:19
The point behind the program is to create
an opportunity

00:16:49:19 00:16:51:26
for individuals in front and behind
the camera

00:16:52:10 00:16:56:08
to not only be recognized,
but also gain experience.

00:16:56:08 00:17:00:02
So if you listen to, for instance,
the 2022 Juno Awards,

00:17:01:01 00:17:03:28
and you listen to it at home,
there's actually one of our trainees

00:17:03:28 00:17:06:06
doing a lot of the mixing and the
audio trucks,

00:17:06:06 00:17:10:11
who's working in one of so very few live
audio trucks in Canada,

00:17:10:11 00:17:13:20
and, you know, on the credits,
that's his name right there,

00:17:13:20 00:17:17:05
and he's now got that on his job resume.
He is booked and busy.

00:17:17:23 00:17:19:00
That's amazing. Right?

00:17:19:16 00:17:23:02
You know, you fast-forward to one of our
video editors,

00:17:23:02 00:17:25:25
one of our trained producer
trainees, Shane,

00:17:25:25 00:17:29:14
they're all people who got live,
real experience,

00:17:29:14 00:17:32:04
in their positions, and now have

00:17:32:20 00:17:35:25
you know, if not just one,
but several credits,

00:17:36:16 00:17:38:25
to put on their resumes so they can
continue their career.

00:17:39:09 00:17:43:10
When we started the Blackawards show,
we had this lush idea

00:17:43:10 00:17:45:27
that every person on the production was
gonna be Black.

00:17:46:11 00:17:51:00
We quickly realized that there aren't
enough senior, you know,

00:17:51:21 00:17:54:27
people in production to lead us there.

00:17:54:27 00:17:58:27
There's been no opportunity for them to
climb in their individual positions,

00:17:58:27 00:18:01:06
so what we've done is
we've created positions.

00:18:01:06 00:18:02:24
We're taking people at different levels,

00:18:02:24 00:18:06:07
and different parts of their career, so
that we can fine-tune their advancement.

00:18:07:08 00:18:09:16
We all know the traditional jobs, right?

00:18:09:16 00:18:11:25
Traditional jobs,
you know. Every immigrant parent,

00:18:11:25 00:18:15:15
you probably tell your child to be like...
- Plumber, electrician...

00:18:15:15 00:18:18:16
Nurse.
- A nurse, a teacher, trades.

00:18:18:16 00:18:22:29
Something with the trades, but now,
I feel like, you know,

00:18:22:29 00:18:25:20
there's so many opportunities out there.

00:18:25:20 00:18:29:07
How are we gonna attract Black youth?

00:18:29:07 00:18:33:24
How are we gonna make them aware that you
can be a sound engineer?

00:18:33:24 00:18:37:18
You could, you know, be behind the camera.

00:18:37:18 00:18:39:02
You can be a host, right?

00:18:39:02 00:18:43:05
Like, to break free a little bit of that
traditional thinking.

00:18:43:17 00:18:47:03
Yeah, absolutely, and I think, through our
programming and through our marketing,

00:18:47:03 00:18:50:10
we definitely make sure that we attract
the right individuals

00:18:50:10 00:18:52:20
but also we also kind of speak to them
on their level

00:18:52:20 00:18:55:19
so for the younger generation,
social media is huge.

00:18:55:19 00:18:58:04
So really, just making sure that we
create, you know,

00:18:58:16 00:19:01:18
video content and photo contents that they
can be like,

00:19:01:18 00:19:03:27
"Oh, OK, I kind of like this."

00:19:03:27 00:19:07:18
Or "You know, Mom,
I have a really good open personality,

00:19:07:18 00:19:10:29
maybe I should kind of look into this." So
just making sure that we have

00:19:10:29 00:19:13:03
the amplification on our social medias

00:19:13:03 00:19:16:19
but then also going into schools. We have
a lot of community partners.

00:19:16:19 00:19:20:14
So we try and kind of speak to the
community through our community partners

00:19:20:14 00:19:22:15
and say, "Hey! You know what?
This is going on.

00:19:22:15 00:19:24:11
Do you mind sharing it
with your community?"

00:19:24:11 00:19:27:12
because, I think, if you don't see it,
you don't know it's there.

00:19:27:12 00:19:31:14
Yeah, that's good to see and hear that
evolution, though,

00:19:31:14 00:19:33:14
of your career, right?
- Yeah.

00:19:33:28 00:19:35:07
I'm glad to hear it, because...

00:19:35:19 00:19:37:12
you do know your stuff too, right?
- Right.

00:19:37:12 00:19:39:06
So, like, own it.
- Yeah.

00:19:39:29 00:19:42:16
Tse, I know you talked about school,

00:19:42:16 00:19:45:16
and being the only person of colour in
your school,

00:19:46:09 00:19:48:16
so I know you were younger then, right?

00:19:48:16 00:19:52:02
So maybe you weren't as confident to show
up in that space,

00:19:52:02 00:19:56:01
but now, how would you react

00:19:56:01 00:19:58:09
if you entered a space where you're not
represented?

00:19:58:09 00:20:00:14
Ooh, it happens a lot, it happens a lot.
- Right.

00:20:00:14 00:20:02:29
Moreso, especially on this journey to the
awards show

00:20:03:28 00:20:06:15
A lot of the gatekeepers,
a lot of the people in power,

00:20:06:15 00:20:08:10
a lot of the people at the top that
we met with

00:20:08:10 00:20:12:00
earlier on in the whole creation of this,

00:20:12:21 00:20:15:05
you know, were people who were white.

00:20:15:05 00:20:17:11
They were just, you know, older,

00:20:17:11 00:20:20:24
had a bit more of an archaic way
of thinking

00:20:20:24 00:20:23:19
and were very stuck in their ways.

00:20:24:23 00:20:26:06
And it was, I think it was...

00:20:27:01 00:20:29:22
I felt it was sort of my job, my...

00:20:30:27 00:20:33:29
Yeah, it was my job to sort of educate
them, and speak up

00:20:33:29 00:20:36:26
and let them know that other voices needed
to be heard.

00:20:38:00 00:20:41:16
And by doing that,
allowing other voices to be heard,

00:20:42:19 00:20:43:21
at the same time.

00:20:44:08 00:20:47:17
And there's nothing wrong to have multiple
voices, right?

00:20:47:17 00:20:49:06
100%.
- I think, a lot of times,

00:20:49:06 00:20:50:29
when people are telling stories,

00:20:50:29 00:20:53:14
they think that is the only story
that can be told,

00:20:53:14 00:20:56:20
but we can have more than one Black person

00:20:56:20 00:20:58:20
or more than one brown person
in a movie, right?

00:20:58:20 00:20:59:14
100%.

00:21:00:04 00:21:04:03
And that's what makes it colourful and
more dynamic, because guess what, guys?

00:21:04:03 00:21:05:09
That's the real world.

00:21:05:09 00:21:07:15
100%, and again, hence the awards show.

00:21:07:15 00:21:09:24
You know, when we talked about doing an
award show,

00:21:09:24 00:21:11:23
the room was like,
"Oh, we already have the Junos."

00:21:11:23 00:21:13:14
Well, it's not going to be like the Junos.

00:21:13:14 00:21:17:04
"We already have the CSAs." This is not
going to be like the CSAs.

00:21:17:04 00:21:19:21
You know, because everyone was so stuck
in their ways

00:21:19:21 00:21:23:03
of what an awards show should look like
from that perspective.

00:21:23:19 00:21:26:24
You know, it was our opportunity to show
them what we needed,

00:21:26:24 00:21:28:09
Yeah.
- ... what we wanted to see,

00:21:28:22 00:21:29:29
and in a way, you know,

00:21:31:03 00:21:34:18
it was bold-ish for us to speak
for the country, you know,

00:21:34:18 00:21:38:17
but we felt that this is what
we've lacked,

00:21:38:17 00:21:40:27
this is the gap in the system

00:21:40:27 00:21:45:23
and we were so energized to say, "Yeah,
this is what we're going to do."

00:21:46:11 00:21:48:28
But how were you to shift that
conversation to say,

00:21:48:28 00:21:52:04
"Hey guys, no. We can... There's value
over here."

00:21:52:04 00:21:54:13
I mean, I think we always knew there
was value.

00:21:55:02 00:21:58:22
Some of what Morgan said earlier, I think
we just had to find that one person

00:21:58:22 00:22:00:22
that was willing to give us the
opportunity.

00:22:01:26 00:22:03:02
I don't think...

00:22:04:26 00:22:06:12
I don't think there was ever really,

00:22:07:04 00:22:08:27
I don't really ever think
there was doubt

00:22:08:27 00:22:11:03
that we weren't gonna get it done
to some scale.

00:22:11:03 00:22:13:25
Right.
- It was just who was gonna pony up,

00:22:13:25 00:22:16:08
who was gonna come to the table first
and really,

00:22:16:08 00:22:19:17
really, really advocate for us on the
other side of that conversation

00:22:19:17 00:22:21:25
to get this on broadcast.

00:22:21:25 00:22:24:14
I think Shamier and Stephan just gave us
some much confidence.

00:22:24:14 00:22:26:21
It's like, "You guys can do this." Like,
we can do this.

00:22:27:03 00:22:29:09
Let's do it, you know? It's like, OK.
- Right.

00:22:29:09 00:22:31:24
Let's make it happen, we'll figure it out.
- Yeah.

00:22:31:24 00:22:34:27
And that's what I was just gonna say,
right? I was gonna say

00:22:34:27 00:22:38:10
a lot of times when you do hear the word
"no", right?

00:22:38:10 00:22:43:05
As an immigrant, as a BIPOC person, OK,
you take that and you shift.

00:22:43:05 00:22:45:06
You pivot, right? You learn to adapt.
- Yeah.

00:22:45:06 00:22:48:24
Because, OK, you're gonna say no to me,
but I'm gonna find another person.

00:22:48:24 00:22:50:23
Oh yeah.
- I'm just talking to the wrong person.

00:22:50:23 00:22:53:29
I used it as fuel. I wrote that person's
name up on the board,

00:22:53:29 00:22:55:18
and said, "I'll see you
in a couple months."

00:22:55:18 00:22:56:12
Right.

00:22:56:12 00:22:58:07
Right?
- I'll see you in a year, you know?

00:22:58:07 00:23:01:21
When, you know, I'm gonna send them a
front row ticket for the awards show.

00:23:01:21 00:23:03:28
Exactly. And say, "Remember me?"

00:23:03:28 00:23:06:00
Right there. Yeah.
- That's kind of how I used it.

00:23:06:00 00:23:09:26
I use it as just fuel, just motivation to
just say, like, to just prove them wrong.

00:23:09:26 00:23:11:26
Yeah.
- You know, just to make a point that

00:23:11:26 00:23:13:12
you don't know everything. You know?

00:23:14:12 00:23:18:09
Instead of saying "maybe", they said no.
And I think that was intentional.

00:23:18:09 00:23:20:19
Right, right. Interesting.

00:23:21:17 00:23:24:04
Morgan, have you ever experienced

00:23:24:21 00:23:29:21
trying to go get an opportunity but not
giving that opportunity, right?

00:23:29:21 00:23:32:03
Like, you're trying to get your foot in
the door, trying to get...

00:23:32:03 00:23:34:18
I know when you were looking for a job,

00:23:35:03 00:23:38:15
you were trying, and nothing was falling
on your lap, right?

00:23:39:01 00:23:44:02
It was a challenge. Even for me. Like,
I think on paper, I look really good.

00:23:44:02 00:23:46:16
You know, it's like, "OK,
she has this experience. Cool."

00:23:47:05 00:23:50:25
My name is Morgan. You can't tell my race
from my name.

00:23:50:25 00:23:53:04
It's a wonderful name.
- Thank you.

00:23:53:04 00:23:55:03
I was always able to get into the room.

00:23:55:03 00:23:58:03
And then I'm like, "Oh shoot,
I got to show them what I look like."

00:23:58:03 00:24:00:19
So, like, I would always get there,

00:24:01:01 00:24:05:09
and then I would always be let down,
and... Once again, the opportunity.

00:24:05:09 00:24:07:26
I was just like, "Ah, I just wish they
would give me the opportunity."

00:24:07:26 00:24:10:02
Just give me the chance to prove myself.
- Right.

00:24:10:02 00:24:12:25
Because I know once I get the job,
I'm good.

00:24:12:25 00:24:16:22
But it's like... It was just that extra
piece that I kind of struggled with.

00:24:17:07 00:24:20:10
But, speaking to what Shamier and Tse
were saying,

00:24:20:10 00:24:23:07
they saw something in us. When I met
Shamier, he saw something in me

00:24:23:19 00:24:26:06
that I didn't see in myself. And I
was at a low

00:24:26:06 00:24:29:16
because I'd just finished college and I'm
like, "Ah, what's my next move?"

00:24:30:00 00:24:32:11
You know, do I even like the
program I was in?

00:24:32:11 00:24:34:12
You know, and Shamier kind of saw me
and was like,

00:24:34:12 00:24:37:11
"You know what? I'll give you an
opportunity and give you a chance."

00:24:37:11 00:24:39:11
And I took it and ran with it.
- Amazing.

00:24:39:23 00:24:44:02
I think that also, there is kind of a
negative to it, being a Black woman,

00:24:44:02 00:24:47:21
because it's like, "OK, I'm given an
opportunity? OK, I can't let anyone down."

00:24:47:21 00:24:50:07
You know? I was to work twice as hard,
I have to show up

00:24:50:07 00:24:53:07
on to the Zoom 5 minutes early. I can't
show up a minute late

00:24:53:07 00:24:56:24
so it's like, there's also an added
pressure when you're given the opportunity

00:24:56:24 00:24:58:09
that maybe, you know,

00:24:58:09 00:25:01:24
other people won't or don't even consider
and even think about.

00:25:01:24 00:25:05:21
Yeah... No, they don't think that they
need to have that qualification, right?

00:25:05:21 00:25:08:25
But being a Black person or a woman
of colour,

00:25:09:14 00:25:14:20
you know, as you said, like your resume
has to be 10 times better.

00:25:14:20 00:25:16:29
Your education has to be
10 times better. Right?

00:25:16:29 00:25:17:23
Yeah.

00:25:17:23 00:25:19:25
That's exhausting, sometimes.
- Exactly.

00:25:19:25 00:25:21:19
You know, instant burn out.
- Right? Yeah.

00:25:21:19 00:25:22:17
Several things.

00:25:22:17 00:25:25:03
Yeah. One of the things
I really wanted to ask

00:25:25:03 00:25:28:11
to you, though, Morgan,
is also Black girl magic.

00:25:28:11 00:25:33:01
I think, when I look at you, honestly, you
are the definition of Black girl magic.

00:25:33:01 00:25:35:01
Thank you.
- Right? What does that mean to you?

00:25:35:14 00:25:40:08
I have a very unique opportunity to just
inspire people around me

00:25:40:08 00:25:44:19
and encourage,
uplift... I'm just trying to be myself,

00:25:44:19 00:25:47:22
and I think, with that,
I embody Black girl magic

00:25:47:22 00:25:50:17
and like I said, just being personable...

00:25:50:17 00:25:52:09
You know, my mom
always raised me on

00:25:52:09 00:25:53:29
"treat people the way
you want to be treated".

00:25:53:29 00:25:57:19
So I just always make sure that, whoever
I'm speaking with, whether it's a CEO

00:25:57:19 00:26:00:17
or a coordinator,
I treat them with the same respect.

00:26:00:17 00:26:03:09
I don't put anyone higher than, or above.

00:26:04:03 00:26:06:02
Tse, one of the things
I want to ask you,

00:26:06:02 00:26:09:14
because I feel like you have
achieved a lot in your lifetime.

00:26:09:14 00:26:10:19
You think so?!

00:26:10:19 00:26:11:29
Yes! And you've done...
- Absolutely.

00:26:11:29 00:26:13:17
You've done a lot and you've done, like,

00:26:14:27 00:26:18:24
non-traditional roles. Things that,
as a Black man,

00:26:19:09 00:26:23:20
you know, as we talked about,
you would be like a tradesperson, or like,

00:26:24:04 00:26:27:07
you know, driving a TTC bus.

00:26:27:07 00:26:30:28
I'm not saying that anything is wrong with
those. However, I feel like

00:26:30:28 00:26:34:15
you had some goals, you had aspirations,

00:26:34:15 00:26:37:14
you knew what you wanted,
and you went for them.

00:26:37:14 00:26:38:13
100%.

00:26:38:13 00:26:43:12
How did you aspire to those dreams,
and how did you not limit yourself?

00:26:43:24 00:26:46:12
I think there's something to be said about
setting a goal.

00:26:46:12 00:26:49:24
You know, something you can achieve,
something you can mark as a milestone

00:26:49:24 00:26:52:10
is huge. I never shy away from a
challenge.

00:26:52:23 00:26:55:14
Once you know where you wanna go,
and working towards it,

00:26:55:14 00:26:57:17
you're gonna hit a sea of no's,
you're gonna hit walls,

00:26:57:17 00:27:01:13
but I think, figuring out a way to get on
the other side of that door,

00:27:01:13 00:27:04:15
get on the other side of that "no" really
keeps you moving

00:27:04:15 00:27:07:01
in that upward trajectory where
there's success.

00:27:07:01 00:27:11:05
You know? And I could look back and say
that I've achieved that, I've done that.

00:27:11:05 00:27:12:21
That's why when you said,
"You've done so much,"

00:27:12:21 00:27:15:24
I'm like, no I've still got a few goals in
me that I'm still working towards.

00:27:16:08 00:27:19:16
Because I'm not done yet. I feel there's
still more for me to do.

00:27:19:16 00:27:24:00
The show was just another huge challenge

00:27:24:00 00:27:27:12
and we hit it. And... and on to the next!

00:27:27:27 00:27:29:20
And I like that way of thinking, right?

00:27:29:20 00:27:32:24
Like, "What's next?" You're always
trying to evolve

00:27:32:24 00:27:36:19
yourself, and your thinking,
and your goal setting.

00:27:36:19 00:27:38:18
Like, don't limit yourself, don't stop.

00:27:38:18 00:27:41:14
Because I feel, too,
when you stop doing that,

00:27:42:04 00:27:44:18
you kind of stop living
a little bit, right?

00:27:44:18 00:27:45:12
1000%.

00:27:45:12 00:27:49:14
And I think, especially for Black people,

00:27:49:14 00:27:53:19
I feel like there's even a bit of
depression, or even mental health,

00:27:53:19 00:27:56:26
where you see everyone else achieving
these goals

00:27:56:26 00:27:59:24
and you're just not there yet. And I think
everyone has their own story,

00:27:59:24 00:28:02:21
everyone has their own path and I think,
if you're true to yourself,

00:28:02:21 00:28:06:17
and what you need to get done and not
worry and block out all the noise,

00:28:06:17 00:28:09:03
I think everyone can get there.
- Yeah.

00:28:09:21 00:28:13:08
And don't limit yourself, right?
- Not at all.

00:28:13:08 00:28:16:24
Morgan, how would you say
that you set goals for yourself

00:28:16:24 00:28:18:20
and still aspire to them?

00:28:19:05 00:28:23:27
I have a long list of things that I wanna
do in my lifetime

00:28:23:27 00:28:27:01
so as they come up, I check them off,
but for me,

00:28:27:01 00:28:29:12
goal setting, a lot of it is, like,
a lot of meditation.

00:28:30:03 00:28:34:00
I really just think about it,
take myself out of it for a bit,

00:28:34:14 00:28:38:06
look at it from all angles. I'm very
critical and very strategic.

00:28:38:29 00:28:42:22
So I kind of look at all possible angle

00:28:43:04 00:28:45:22
before I say, "OK, yes,
I want to complete it."

00:28:46:22 00:28:50:06
And then once I'm like, in a space where
I'm like, "OK, I'm ready",

00:28:50:21 00:28:54:14
then I won't stop until I get it.

00:28:54:14 00:28:57:22
And just, like, another fun story is,

00:28:57:22 00:29:00:12
I remember,
it was 2013 and I wanted a MacBook.

00:29:01:01 00:29:04:09
So I was like, "OK, Mom,
Christmas is coming up. It's on my list."

00:29:04:26 00:29:07:11
And... OK, that just kind of aged me
by saying it here.

00:29:10:07 00:29:12:04
OK, maybe it wasn't that year,
but whatever.

00:29:12:04 00:29:14:19
So, she's like,
"OK, why do you want it?"

00:29:14:19 00:29:17:29
I wrote a whole essay on why I need
the MacBook,

00:29:17:29 00:29:21:21
the pros and cons, like everything. So
it's like, once I have my eye on a task,

00:29:22:05 00:29:24:13
I'm gonna give a 110%

00:29:24:13 00:29:28:21
and once it's done, it's like I know I'm
handing over the best work possible,

00:29:28:21 00:29:31:12
so that the person on the other end can't
say no to me.

00:29:31:12 00:29:35:05
You know, we've talked about this a little
bit, but when our parents came to Canada,

00:29:35:05 00:29:38:22
they didn't take risks,
right? They had to play it safe.

00:29:38:22 00:29:41:28
You know, they probably gotta get a good
job, get a house.

00:29:42:14 00:29:44:07
That's, that's life.
- Yeah.

00:29:44:07 00:29:47:17
That's what we are aspiring to,
that's what our mandate is,

00:29:47:17 00:29:51:02
but Tse, how do you take risks?

00:29:53:22 00:29:56:12
My friends think I take risks all
the time.

00:29:56:12 00:30:00:05
I think it's just a matter of finding
something that you are passionate about,

00:30:00:05 00:30:04:06
something that you are excited about,
and then working towards it.

00:30:04:18 00:30:06:25
I think that if you're holistically
putting in 100%

00:30:06:25 00:30:09:29
into what you're trying to achieve,

00:30:10:11 00:30:12:11
it's not a risk; it's just work.

00:30:13:06 00:30:15:23
And then maybe you think,
"What's the worst that could happen?"

00:30:16:09 00:30:18:25
Yeah! That's basically. I mean, look:

00:30:18:25 00:30:20:14
we started an awards show.

00:30:20:14 00:30:23:04
Worst thing that happens is
that it doesn't go on the air.

00:30:23:04 00:30:26:16
Right? You have to start the project
believing that you can get to the end.

00:30:26:16 00:30:29:15
Right. Morgan,
how do you assess taking risks?

00:30:31:00 00:30:33:00
Once I'm all in, I'm all in.

00:30:33:16 00:30:35:25
So, yeah, for me, I think, growing up,

00:30:35:25 00:30:37:25
I wasn't a big risk taker. I
played it safe.

00:30:38:09 00:30:42:02
I stayed in my box,
but as I kind of started to develop,

00:30:42:02 00:30:44:19
I started to just push the box open
and just say,

00:30:44:19 00:30:46:23
"Hey, like, if it's meant for me,
it's meant for me."

00:30:46:23 00:30:49:20
And if it doesn't go well, then move on.
- Right.

00:30:50:08 00:30:53:24
The bigger the risk,
the bigger sort of the reward,

00:30:53:24 00:30:57:18
and the opportunities that we create
for individuals in our community

00:30:58:00 00:31:00:17
is monumentous, like, I mean...

00:31:00:17 00:31:02:12
The people that showed out
for the awards show...

00:31:02:12 00:31:03:06
Thank goodness, yeah.

00:31:03:06 00:31:06:23
who are still posting, and still asking us
when the next show is...

00:31:07:10 00:31:09:20
And I've seen that throughout my work in
the community.

00:31:09:20 00:31:14:10
Every time I push the bar,
there's... I feel there's that much space

00:31:14:10 00:31:18:05
for more people that look like me,
or more segregated

00:31:19:18 00:31:22:15
people in the community just feel they
have a place now.

00:31:22:15 00:31:23:09
Yeah.

00:31:23:09 00:31:25:11
And even, for instance,
if you were living

00:31:25:11 00:31:28:03
in like, say, community housing or
something like that, right?

00:31:28:03 00:31:30:12
Which I grew up in.
- Right?

00:31:30:12 00:31:35:10
So that, the risk, for you,
it's like... if I don't take that risk,

00:31:35:24 00:31:39:05
what is the alternative?

00:31:39:05 00:31:41:14
100%. I look at some of the guys I
grew up with

00:31:41:14 00:31:43:19
that were my neighbours that lived
across the street

00:31:44:22 00:31:49:10
and, you know, a lot of them haven't had
as illustrious a life as I've had,

00:31:49:26 00:31:52:14
just, you know,
due to personal opportunity,

00:31:52:14 00:31:54:01
but there are still kids there.

00:31:54:01 00:31:56:01
There are still kids to that day,
and if I can,

00:31:56:17 00:31:59:29
if we can invite them down to a
Scarborough Shooting Stars game

00:31:59:29 00:32:03:16
or we can have them meet of the stars of
John Wick and get signed autographs

00:32:03:16 00:32:06:15
and a personal private meet-and-greet,

00:32:06:15 00:32:08:21
that shows them,
that goes to show them that,

00:32:08:21 00:32:11:19
you know, someone from their area can do
something like that.

00:32:11:19 00:32:15:10
Someone believes in us. Someone has
thought of us. We're not forgotten.

00:32:15:10 00:32:20:06
I think really, again, in kind of
risk-reward, it's kind of paying tenfold.

00:32:20:06 00:32:24:12
Also, one of the things that you talked
about and I think I mentioned it,

00:32:24:12 00:32:28:02
is like, sometimes in life, there's two
paths that we always have, right?

00:32:28:26 00:32:31:09
You could go Path A, Path B.

00:32:32:08 00:32:36:17
How do you decide, how did you decide,
Tse, to take your different path?

00:32:37:23 00:32:39:25
I trust in the process, I guess.

00:32:39:25 00:32:43:27
It's just, again, moving forward and being
100% and being honest with yourself

00:32:43:27 00:32:48:11
about where you want to go. Any path that
has communities sort of woven into it

00:32:48:11 00:32:53:18
or I get to amplify my voice or voices of
people that look like me,

00:32:53:18 00:32:56:01
I'm always gonna be, like,
that's always gonna be my plan A.

00:33:10:20 00:33:14:26
Morgan, would you say that you do feel a
sense of responsibility to give back?

00:33:15:15 00:33:19:17
I do, yes. Especially because,
like I said, I didn't that,

00:33:19:17 00:33:23:07
so now that I do have these great ideas

00:33:23:07 00:33:26:00
and great, great people
I've come across

00:33:26:00 00:33:28:26
and great lessons I've learned,
I have to give back.

00:33:28:26 00:33:33:11
So anything that pertains to the black
community, I'm all in for.

00:33:34:04 00:33:37:12
It's funny, I actually started doing that
in ways that I didn't realize.

00:33:37:12 00:33:41:15
You know, just being in high school,
I experienced things

00:33:41:15 00:33:44:18
before my friends did. Like,
I think I was the first to get a job

00:33:44:18 00:33:48:06
or, you know, get a car,
so I would always share that information.

00:33:48:06 00:33:50:05
Like, "Hey guys, make sure you know this!"

00:33:50:05 00:33:53:20
or "Make sure you do this!" because I just
love being able to give back,

00:33:53:20 00:33:56:21
whether it's family,
friends or just the community.

00:33:56:21 00:33:59:09
Tse, would you say or feel that...

00:33:59:09 00:34:01:19
Do you have a sense of responsibility
to give back

00:34:01:19 00:34:04:22
to the community because of the position
that you are in?

00:34:05:17 00:34:09:29
Yes. Yeah. Growing up,
figuring myself out,

00:34:10:18 00:34:14:27
there was absolutely no one that I could
turn to and ask those questions.

00:34:15:09 00:34:19:24
You know, now, I have two individuals that
I mentor personally

00:34:19:24 00:34:21:24
outside of everything that I do.

00:34:22:09 00:34:24:27
I wish I had someone who knew

00:34:24:27 00:34:27:06
how to navigate
the creative world professionally,

00:34:28:11 00:34:32:00
that I just never got,
and I feel it would be lost

00:34:32:00 00:34:36:05
if I didn't provide that opportunity for
the next generation coming up.

00:34:36:17 00:34:40:11
I was just born into a time where a lot of
things were just new

00:34:40:11 00:34:42:19
to immigrants coming to Canada, I think.

00:34:42:19 00:34:44:27
We were all still figuring it out.

00:34:45:21 00:34:48:07
But we did. I figured it out.
I think I figured it out.

00:34:48:07 00:34:49:12
I mean, I have some knowledge.

00:34:49:12 00:34:51:23
I don't know if I got to the top of what I
was trying to figure out,

00:34:51:23 00:34:55:00
but I feel like,
now that I have this wealth of knowledge

00:34:55:00 00:34:58:07
that I should pass it on,
that I should provide those opportunities

00:34:58:07 00:35:02:22
for people and yeah,
that's what I spend my free time doing.

00:35:03:07 00:35:08:01
Now that, I feel, in your positions you
have more of a leadership role,

00:35:08:01 00:35:12:24
how would you like things to be done
differently from a hiring perspective?

00:35:12:24 00:35:15:18
Because I think now,
you both have that authority, right?

00:35:15:18 00:35:19:18
Like, you guys are probably hiring people
within The Black Academy,

00:35:19:18 00:35:23:05
so what are you guys looking for? Morgan?
- Yeah.

00:35:23:05 00:35:26:13
For me, I would say the one word that
sticks out is "opportunity".

00:35:26:13 00:35:28:22
Because I find that, too often,

00:35:28:22 00:35:31:25
people are able to enter rooms,
but aren't given the chance.

00:35:32:18 00:35:35:09
So, of course, you know,
your background matters

00:35:35:09 00:35:38:01
and how you articulate yourself,
and your experience,

00:35:38:01 00:35:40:23
but if there's someone that's there that
you're just like,

00:35:40:23 00:35:43:12
"I don't know, maybe they're not exactly
where I need them to be,

00:35:43:12 00:35:45:06
but it just feels right",

00:35:45:06 00:35:47:08
give them the opportunity to prove
themselves,

00:35:47:08 00:35:49:19
because too far often,
people are just kind of...

00:35:50:07 00:35:52:07
The door shut in front of them,
because it's like,

00:35:52:07 00:35:55:15
"Oh, you don't,
you're not perfect on the paper."

00:35:55:15 00:35:57:22
But I'm really just giving someone a
chance, you know?

00:35:57:22 00:35:59:22
Yeah. No, for sure. Tse?

00:36:00:22 00:36:04:08
Yeah, I agree. I think investing in
the people

00:36:04:08 00:36:06:21
that you hire as opposed to just the
position...

00:36:08:01 00:36:10:12
You know, I think...

00:36:10:12 00:36:14:07
You bring someone on, like Morgan says,
you... They're not 100% quite there.

00:36:14:07 00:36:16:04
I mean, I definitely
didn't think I'd be...

00:36:16:04 00:36:16:28
Same.

00:36:16:28 00:36:18:19
... you know, running an awards show.

00:36:20:02 00:36:22:19
But, you know, definitely Shamier and
Stephan saw something in us

00:36:22:19 00:36:27:21
and let us, you know, work to our best
abilities to achieve that.

00:36:27:21 00:36:30:09
I think giving someone the same
opportunity

00:36:30:09 00:36:32:09
will give you tenfold.
- Right.

00:36:32:09 00:36:35:06
No, and then, even one of my leaders just
said yesterday,

00:36:35:06 00:36:37:10
"Skills can be taught."

00:36:37:23 00:36:41:00
However, there are certain things that
can't, like soft skills,

00:36:41:00 00:36:43:00
treating somebody with respect,

00:36:43:18 00:36:45:15
right? Being kind.

00:36:45:15 00:36:50:13
Those are all things that are just
ingrained in you. They're imbedded in you

00:36:50:13 00:36:54:10
so like, I would rather have someone like
that on my team

00:36:54:10 00:36:57:03
because you know they're actually gonna
work harder for you.

00:36:57:03 00:36:58:03
100%.
- Right?

00:36:58:24 00:37:01:29
But teaching a skill, like Excel

00:37:01:29 00:37:04:29
or whatever the case may be,
everyone can learn that.

00:37:05:11 00:37:08:28
But how do you treat your team, how do you
talk to the people that report to you,

00:37:09:10 00:37:11:02
That's what really matters, right?

00:37:11:02 00:37:13:26
I always look for someone who's gonna give
100% effort.

00:37:13:26 00:37:16:07
Yeah.
- Regardless of their skill level,

00:37:16:07 00:37:18:13
they're just gonna give up their 100%. You
can't go wrong

00:37:18:13 00:37:20:26
with someone who is always gonna
give you 100%,

00:37:20:26 00:37:23:14
because you might hire someone who's
overqualified or qualified

00:37:24:01 00:37:25:28
and they're gonna give you 60.
- Yeah.

00:37:25:28 00:37:28:03
You know,
I'd rather that person give me...

00:37:28:03 00:37:30:04
I'd rather the other person that's gonna
give me 100.

00:37:30:04 00:37:31:04
No, for sure.

00:37:32:04 00:37:33:25
I'm gonna shift gears a little bit.

00:37:34:09 00:37:37:04
You touched on it a little bit
before, Tse,

00:37:37:04 00:37:39:28
but like, even I noticed this during
COVID, right?

00:37:39:28 00:37:44:16
Because we were forced to work in
conferences, videoconferences,

00:37:44:16 00:37:48:04
where we're on the boxes and you just see
people's head,

00:37:48:24 00:37:51:20
and I work in the digital space the
majority of the times,

00:37:51:20 00:37:53:28
a lot of times when I would enter those
conferences,

00:37:53:28 00:37:56:06
I would be the only woman, right?

00:37:56:06 00:37:58:17
I would be the only woman of
colour, right?

00:37:58:17 00:38:01:13
And it's like, how do I enter that room?

00:38:01:13 00:38:02:21
How do I approach that room?

00:38:02:21 00:38:05:21
How do I approach that space, you know?

00:38:05:21 00:38:09:23
Am I supposed to watch every word because
I'm female?

00:38:09:23 00:38:12:25
Or do I own that room,
right? And a lot of times,

00:38:13:07 00:38:17:05
I know my stuff, I know my material,
so I'm gonna own the room

00:38:17:05 00:38:20:01
and I'm not gonna let people
intimidate me, right?

00:38:20:22 00:38:24:01
And I think you have to show up every day
as you were saying.

00:38:24:01 00:38:27:18
So, how do you feel like when you do enter
a space, Morgan,

00:38:27:18 00:38:30:10
and maybe there's not
representation there?

00:38:31:03 00:38:34:13
Yeah. So for me,
I'm gonna tell just a little quick story.

00:38:34:13 00:38:37:24
So when I first started in my role as
Director of Programming,

00:38:38:15 00:38:41:22
as you know, Veronica, I was just kind of
thrown into the Zoom meetings

00:38:41:22 00:38:44:03
and I'll never forget,
there were some days

00:38:44:03 00:38:47:02
when I'm on the call and I have something
so bad to say

00:38:47:02 00:38:50:00
and I'm holding my hand over the
unmute button,

00:38:50:00 00:38:52:02
but sometimes I just wouldn't ever
unmute myself

00:38:52:02 00:38:54:03
because I just didn't feel
comfortable.

00:38:54:03 00:38:57:27
Fast-forward now, I hit the unmute button
and I start speaking.

00:38:57:27 00:38:59:18
You know, if I have something to say,
I have something to say.

00:38:59:18 00:39:01:07
And if it sounds stupid, it sounds stupid.

00:39:01:07 00:39:04:19
Or if I should've said it another way,
then so be it,

00:39:04:19 00:39:07:07
but I don't hold myself back in those
rooms anymore.

00:39:07:07 00:39:11:26
No, that's great. What are the possible
avenues in which that you can grow

00:39:11:26 00:39:15:05
within The Black Academy,
or maybe elsewhere?

00:39:16:00 00:39:17:18
Yeah, so for The Black Academy,

00:39:17:18 00:39:20:28
just with growth, I definitely see,
in the next few years,

00:39:20:28 00:39:26:12
The Black Academy being a nationwide
organization

00:39:26:12 00:39:28:18
that just pours into the Black community

00:39:28:18 00:39:31:21
from the West Coast all the way to the
East Coast.

00:39:31:21 00:39:34:00
I definitely see The Black Academy
also entering

00:39:34:00 00:39:36:11
the American markets
at some point.

00:39:36:11 00:39:39:17
Amazing. Tse, where would you say the...

00:39:40:03 00:39:43:02
you guys would want to take the
Legacy Awards within the next 5 years?

00:39:43:18 00:39:47:09
Ooh, the next 5 years,
I see the awards show growing.

00:39:48:16 00:39:52:24
We've talked about adding more points of
celebration

00:39:53:28 00:39:57:10
whether it's, you know,
directly in film or directly in music

00:39:57:10 00:40:01:16
or directly in some of the more
entertainment aspect of the awards show.

00:40:02:10 00:40:04:15
Yeah, that's what we'll see in 5 years.

00:40:04:15 00:40:08:19
Our lovely partners and us have
greenlit and have

00:40:08:19 00:40:11:24
probably about 8 shows into development.
- Wow.

00:40:12:16 00:40:16:21
And there's some offers on the table from
a few big studios

00:40:16:21 00:40:20:06
so there's soon to be some great things
for Bay Mills in the papers soon.

00:40:20:06 00:40:23:04
Amazing. I'll keep a watch
for that so best of luck.

00:40:23:04 00:40:23:28
Yeah, thanks.

00:40:24:12 00:40:26:24
The last question I'm gonna ask just to
close it off

00:40:26:24 00:40:31:00
is do you have any final words of
inspiration, quotes or any thoughts

00:40:31:00 00:40:33:00
that you would want to leave with
the audience?

00:40:34:03 00:40:35:03
Morgan?

00:40:36:12 00:40:41:11
It's a very short saying,
but "Opportunity meets preparation."

00:40:41:11 00:40:45:29
That's something I'm really... That's like
my dad's side.

00:40:45:29 00:40:47:24
You know, just really, that sternness

00:40:47:24 00:40:50:27
but you know,
opportunities will always come up,

00:40:50:27 00:40:53:16
but are you prepared for it? And what
are you doing

00:40:53:29 00:40:56:24
in the background to make sure,
when the opportunity comes up,

00:40:56:24 00:40:59:01
that you have everything ready?

00:40:59:01 00:41:02:22
Tse? Mine is being unapologetically Black.

00:41:02:22 00:41:05:05
I love that.
- I think... That's just it, I think.

00:41:05:17 00:41:08:23
You're in, like, a boardroom,
you're the only one

00:41:08:23 00:41:11:05
and they're taking food orders,

00:41:11:05 00:41:13:00
I'm the first person to throw my
hand and say,

00:41:13:00 00:41:15:12
"Can you get patties and coco bread or
some jerk chicken?"

00:41:17:02 00:41:18:09
Why not, right?

00:41:19:07 00:41:22:08
I think there's many times where,
especially still,

00:41:22:08 00:41:25:14
that we're gonna be the first and maybe
possibly the only ones in the room.

00:41:25:26 00:41:29:07
And I think it's our power to speak up

00:41:29:07 00:41:31:07
and be seen and heard.

00:41:32:05 00:41:36:21
Thank you so much for being here today,
guys. I really appreciate it.

00:41:36:21 00:41:38:19
I think we've had some
really good conversations.

00:41:38:19 00:41:40:12
I appreciate your time, thank you.

00:41:40:12 00:41:42:02
Thanks for having us. Thanks to CBC

00:41:42:02 00:41:45:18
for setting us all up.
- Thank you, guys. Thank you very much.