I revisit a previous interview with Morgan O. Smith, and he shares why he left entertainment and embraced meditation.
Category: Toronto
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Abbas Wahab Shares His Immigrant Story Through Comedy
Abbas Wahab shares his immigrant story through comedy.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Spotlighting Black Owned Business: Special Compass
Spotlighting Black Owned Business – Special Compass – founded by Shakira Rouse
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Checking in
I check in with listeners. I speak briefly about the increase in violence in the city (and world), rising food and gas prices, and getting back to normal while still in a pandemic.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Prepping for your job search!
I chat with Kerry Kettle – a Program Coordinator, and she lets the audience know what sectors are hiring, how to prepare for a zoom interview, and how job search has changed by the pandemic.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Michelle’s 2 cents – part 2
I share my 2 cents on the end of the mask mandate, the end of common decency, and the rise in violence in Toronto, Canada.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Spotlighting Black Owned Business – Nyarai Cellars
I sit with Steve Byfield and we chat about his Black Owned Business, Nyarai Cellars.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: A discussion on the Disproportionality of Minority Children in Special Education
The focus of the show is on the overrepresentation as well as the underrepresentation of minority students in special education.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Happy New Year!
Michelle provides a new year greeting and discusses upcoming show topics.
Words With Michelle- the podcast: A Talk With Mic Slayer, Jam Gamble
I speak with public speaker and media personality Jam Gamble. She shares why she started her public speaking program – Slay The Mic.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: The N Word
Michelle discusses the “N word” with artist/storyteller/entrepreneur Micha.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Michelle’s 2 cents
MIchelle briefly provides her 2 cents on vaccines and wearing a mask.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Are We Opening The City Too Quickly?
I chat with Patricia – Sales & Marketing Rep in the Medical field, about the city (Toronto) opening up after lockdown.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: The Effects Of Dealing With 15 Months Of Lockdown
Amani shares how she dealt with being in lockdown for 15 month due to the pandemic.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Tracy Moore Responds To Being Body Shamed
I have a short convo with Clityline host, Tracy Moore, about her response to being body shamed online.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Finding Love During Lockdown
Kenrick Phillip shares how he was able to find a relationship during lockdown.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: A Discussion About Politics, Black Hair, & Microaggressions With Celina Caesar-Chavannes
I talk politics, Black hair, and microaggressions with Celina Caesar-Chavannes.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: How A Small Business Owner Learned To Pivot During The Pandemic
How A Small Business Owner Learned To Pivot During the Pandemic
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Black Men In Media – Jonathan Shaw’s Journey In Radio
I speak with Jonathan Shaw about being a Black man in radio.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Brandon Hay Talks Fatherhood & Creating The Black Daddies Club
Michelle speaks with Brandon Hay about fatherhood and what led him to create the Black Daddies Club.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Happy New Year
Happy New Year Message
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Budgeting During A Pandemic
I speak with Financial Rep., Tanika Riley, and she shares tips on how to budget during a pandemic.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Colourism
I chat with Tracy Peart about colourism: differential treatment based on skin colour.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Healing Through Wellness Practices
Michelle chats with Jothi Saldanha – a certified Transformational Coach, about the importance of Healing through wellness practices.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Checking in
Michelle briefly recaps what life has been like over the past 7 months, and checks in with the audience.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Random Acts of Racism
I speak with 5 guests who share a few of the racist acts that have experienced living in Canada.
Telling Stories Through Food With Grace Cameron
“Food is so bonding, it’s universal – it connects people.” That is how Grace Cameron – the publisher and editor of JamaicanEats Magazine eloquently describes the power of food during our Zoom call in early July. You can safely assume that I wholeheartedly agree with Grace’s statement. Being a foodie, I know first-hand…
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Race and Representation in Art
Zahra Siddiqui speaks about her first solo exhibit – The Invisible Majority and why representation matters.
Words With Michelle – the podcast: Racism in the Medical Field, part 2
In the second part of the “Racism in the medical field”, Dr. O speaks on how Black doctors are affected by systemic racism.
Tanika Riley: Educational Consultant, Facilitator, Speaker, & Social Entrepreneur
Tanika has a lot of titles, no? Oh, I almost forgot, you can add mommy to that too. Tanika Riley is a super busy #girlboss who runs POR AMOR – her non- profit organization that she co-founded with 3 friends 15 years ago (she is now the Executive Director), where she facilitates workshops for…
Catching up with Zachariah
What I love about Zachariah is his unwavering determination – and as a performer, you need that! Ever since I met and featured this young rapper on my blog 4 years ago, he has shown me that even when he’s knocked down, he comes back swinging. In our initial interview, he spoke about his double…
Stachen Frederick: Educates Through BrAIDS for AIDS
Did you know that something as simple as getting your hair braided could help promote AIDS awareness? Yes, it’s that easy. Earlier this month I had a short but informative chat with Stachen Frederick – the founder of BrAIDS for AIDS, and she was more than eager to speak with me about her charitable…
Marci Ien: Trailblazing Woman In Media
I appreciate Marci Ien. I appreciate what she has done for women of colour in media, I appreciate what she represents, and lastly, I appreciate that she’s really nice. Seriously, she may be the most gracious person I’ve ever met! Just in case you’re unaware of the fabulousness that is Marci Ien, let me…
#HerstoryinBlack: A Document of 150 Phenomenal Black Women – Part 3
I really need someone to pinch me. Seriously….pinch me. Actually, if I am dreaming, I ain’t tryin’ to wake up. That’s how I felt on Monday, February 27, 2017. That day could not have been any better. Oh, before I delve into that magical day, lets back track for a bit. To recap…
My Year in Review: 2016
This blog entry isn’t necessarily a recap of all that has happened in the news, but just a brief summary of what 2016 was like for me. Wow, what can I possibly say about 2016? Without a doubt, it’s been a difficult year for me. I’ve had amazing highs (great friendships…
Eden Hagos: Celebrating Food Through The Eyes Of A Black Foodie
It was at the Taste of Regent Park this past summer that I first met Eden Hagos – a.k.a Black Foodie. We didn’t formally meet; I stumbled on the event – a community event she helped organize, while I, along with a few friends were set to attend a friend’s photo exhibit at Daniels Spectrum…
Karlyn Percil: Heals Through Sister Talk
A little over a month ago Karlyn Percil posted a very personal entry on her Instagram account. She wrote about the painful obstacles that she has endured, but through her courage and resilience, she has been able to heal herself by sharing her story. No word of a lie, I was this close to…
Val Andrews: Following Her Path
While I was chatting with a few ladies at the #HowSheHustlesSocial in late July, Val Andrews walked right up to me, studied my face and then said that I looked familiar. I told her that we met many, many, years ago – I was a friend of one of her sisters, but we have since…
Anne-Marie Woods: Produces She Said/He Said
When I think of the Toronto arts scene, there are a bunch of names that pop into my head – but you better believe that Anne-Marie Woods’ name is right up there! She has been hitting the stage hard since she left Nova Scotia and moved to Toronto in 2000. Anne-Marie or Amani as…
Emily Mills: Creating Opportunities for Women Through How She Hustles
Emily Mills is one of those special women that I aspire to be like when I grow up (yep, I know, I’m fully grown, but hey!). She holds it down at her day job, is a loving mom and wife, and generously makes time to empower like minded women through her side project – How…
Commentary: Beards: Friend or Foe
As you know, Words With Michelle mainly features stories about extraordinary people in the 6 and worldwide, but I’ve been toying with the idea of sharing my thoughts and opinion on a few topics. For this first installment, I will be speaking about Beards: Friend or Foe Beards: Friend or Foe About a…
Alexi Couto: Young Toronto Singer Delivers Anti-bullying Message
I really need to give a shout out to a very generous guy who consistently suggests extraordinary people for me to link up with, interview and expose. He big-heartedly suggested I speak with 20-year-old singer and Toronto native, Alexi Couto. Alexi Couto is a singer songwriter who adoringly devotes her time to music, but…
Desiree Marshall: Getting funky with Afrodelik Designs
I ran into Desiree Marshall – creator and founder of Afrodelik Designs, at the How She Hustles pop up shop back in November 2015. Bumping into her felt like I was reunited with an old friend that I sadly lost touch with. It was in 2007 that I first met Desiree when I caught…
Join the Joy & Love Movement with John Robinson Jr.
* This article was originally posted Oct 2013. Some may know him as John Robinson Jr., but to me he’s J.J. I met J.J. for the first time over 10 years ago when we were paired together for the radio talk show, The Cutting Edge on York University’s CHRY 105.5 fm (now called Vibe 105). I think we…
Natasha Chandel: Writer, Performer & Content Creator
It was recommended by a friend that I speak with Natasha Chandel – the funny, outspoken, and sassy Managing Editor of Programming at Maker Studios (Maker TV). He noted that Natasha is a #TDot native who is super creative, and currently develops cutting edge online programming. He sold me on his suggestion and I…
Dalton Higgins: Writer, Author & Hip Hop Expert
One of the people that I have admired for the longest time and tracked the career of is Dalton Higgins. Dalton is an outrageously talented writer who also holds the auspicious title of being Canada’s sole expert on hip hop culture. He’s written for Now Magazine for 10 years, and he has freelanced for Source…
Duane “D.O.” Gibson: Rapper With A Message
I’ve pretty much grown up with rap music. I’ve witnessed the fear produced by gangsta rap, I was enlightened by Afrocentric rap, got my dance on during the Puff Daddy (aka P. Diddy) era, and inspired (and also disillusioned) by the current state of hip hop. Although rap music and rappers have played an…
Anya Grant: Natural Hair Advocate
I met Anya from I Heart My Hair on a balmy Saturday afternoon at a midtown coffee shop. She originally wanted me to email her the questions or Skype the interview, but I was pretty insistent on meeting up. Meeting face to face not only allows for a more authentic interview, but it allows me to gain rapport with the interviewee….
Nandita Dias: Teacher, Singer & The Most Patient Person On Earth!
I received an email in early April from Nandita Dias, a full-time teacher and an accomplished jazz singer, telling me a bit about her upcoming album, “Let Us Lose Track Of Time.” I clicked reply and typed that I would love to learn more about her, and it would be a great idea if we…
Jonathan Shaw Has A lot On His Mind
On May 21, 2015, I tweeted that it was a year ago that I paid a visit to the G98.7fm studios to meet and interview DJ, radio legend, and mentor, Jonathan Shaw. Within seconds of posting that tweet, Jonathan replied saying that he was ready for Part 2. Yassss! Guess what? In a mere…
Words With Michelle 