Centre named in honour of trailblazing Black publisher aims to make journalism more inclusive

More than 170 years ago, Mary Ann Shadd Cary an anti-slavery journalist and activist who lived in Windsor, Ont., became the first Black woman in North America to publish a newspaper.

Now, aCarleton University initiative aimed atmaking journalism more inclusive bears her name.

Nana aba Duncanis the founder of theMary Ann Shadd Cary Centre for Journalism and Belonging. She's alsothe school's Carty Chair in Journalism, Diversity and Inclusion Studies.

Duncan spoke with Windsor Morning's Amy Dodge about the centreand the decision to name itafter Shadd Cary.

Why has the centre taken on Mary Ann Shadd Cary's name?

Well, it takes on the name of Mary Ann Shadd Cary because I learned about Mary Ann Shadd Cary way too late in my journalism career. When I did learn about this woman who was an abolitionist, a teacher, a lawyer, a journalist, a publisher I remember thinking now, why am I only learning about this now?

Now that I have moved on from working in broadcasting and in academia as a professor, I have an opportunity, as someone who is doing research to name something that is associated with a person who should be known for the journalism that she did. So, Mary Ann Shadd Cary was the first Black woman to publish and edit a newspaper in North America, and that's a big deal. I think everyone should know about that connection.

I happened to know some members of the family and when it came time to put this centre together, I asked if they would be OK with attaching her name to it and they were gracious enough to say yes.

What were the reactions?

I don't want to speak for their feelings, but in general I think that they were pleased. I've come to know the family a little bit. There was a new stamp unveiled by Canada Post and I was at the unveiling and it's just been lovely to learn about the family and meet so many of them who are also historians and who have done great things themselves.

What will this centre do to make journalism more welcoming for Black people?

The purpose of the centre is to make journalism more welcoming for everyone. But because I'm Black, I start Black. So, the research that I'm starting with is on the experiences of Black journalists in Canada.

LISTEN | Nana aba Duncan speaks with Windsor Morning's Amy Dodge:

Windsor Morning7:56A Canadian University wants to improve the journalism industry by making it more inclusive

A North America anti-slavery journalist and activist with Windsor ties is having a University journalism building named after her. Windsor Morning Host Amy Dodge spoke to Nana Aba Duncan, the "Carty Chair of Journalism, Diversity and Inclusion Studies" at the "Mary Ann Shadd Cary Centre for Journalism and Belonging."

I'm also working with another Black professor at Toronto Metropolitan University to create a guide on reporting in Black communities. The idea is to recognize our experiences and do our best so that when people are practising journalism whether it means their connections with other journalists in the newsroom who are Black, as well as their relationships with Black communities that they are aware of some of the experiences that Black people have when it comes to anti-Black racism. The hope is that people can learn about how to support and to do their best to not make some of the same mistakes that have been made before.

What would it have meant for you to have something like this in your earlier days of journalism?

It would have meant a lot. I would have felt seen. I did my journalism degree at University of Western Ontario and I actually remember feeling like I couldn't really talk about race. We did not speak about race back then.

Race came up in negative ways, if it did at all. But the way things are now, I think in university in general, but certainly when we're talking about journalism and communication, it's a very open topic and I'm aware of students who are happy about this. They have come up to me to say things like 'I'm just happy that you're here.'

It would have meant a lot to him back then if I was learning about journalism, that I could just talk about race and be really free about it.

I see now that a lot of things were focused on how a white person would view what I produce. I think what's great now is that our minds are changing and we're realizing that we have to take care to think about our audiences as diverse. I don't think that's a new thought. I just think that now we are much more open about being very clear about it.

How do you hope this changes the way we do journalism in the future?

I hope that it signals to everyone who is from a marginalized community or from a community that they don't see in the news, that they actually belong. As journalists and people who run legacy media, independent media and start-up media, we're often talking about how we want what we do to be a reflection of the society that we serve.

We cannot do that if we don't welcome all parts of society in the actual practice of journalism. By that I mean that if a person who grew up poor wants to be a journalist, that they can be very open about their background and that they can feel like their experiences matter, and that I'm going to listen to them.

No longer will a person who is Black in an editorial meeting be told that their story is not really a story because the person who was listening or making a decision doesn't have that experience. Rather, I hope and I know that things are changing where a person who is leading an editorial conversation will hear about an experience that they don't know much about, and they'll say, 'tell me more,' which is actually very journalistic.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of.You can read more stories here.