THE STATE OF BLACKNESS: REVISITED 

Much has changed for black folks in Canada and much has remained the same or deteriorated since The State of Blackness: From Production to Presentation conference in 2014. In this conversation, artist, Camille Turner and scholar, Dr. Rinaldo Walcott muse on how far we have come in the sphere of black cultural production and dissemination. This virtual event marked the inauguration of Centre for the Study of Black Canadian Diaspora (CSBCD), established by Dr. Andrea Fatona at OCAD University. The event occurred on Thursday March 18th at 6 pm. The aim of the Centre for the Study of Black Canadian Diaspora is to make visible and provide access to the works of contemporary Black artists, craftspeople, curators, and critics in Canada who have been historically erased from the imaginary of Canadian visual culture. Dr. Fatona’s research intends to expand our understanding of Canadian Black contemporary cultural production from 1987 to the present. 

Camille Turner is an explorer of race, space, home and belonging. Straddling media, social practice and performance art, her work has been presented throughout Canada and internationally. 

Dr. Rinaldo Walcott is a Professor in the Women and Gender Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. His research is in the area of Black Diaspora Cultural Studies, gender and sexuality.