Black Life: Untold Stories
Now streaming on CBC Gem. Coming to CBC TV on Oct. 25
Black Life: Untold Stories illuminates the struggles and triumphs of Black Canadians while celebrating the contributions of both famous and lesser-known individuals. Epic in scope, the eight-part series spans more than 400 years with an eye towards contemporary issues, culture, politics, music, art and sports.
How to watch Black Life: Untold Stories
CBC Gem
The first four episodes of Black Life: Untold Stories will be available on CBC Gem on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.
Episodes 5 to 8 will be available on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023.
Download the free CBC Gem app from iTunes or Google Play, or watch it on your web browser.
CBC-TV
Watch Black Life: Untold Stories on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. (9:30 p.m. NT), beginning Oct. 25. Check the CBC Program Guide for more information.
Episodes
Haven but no Heaven
An unflinching examination of slavery in Canada that dispels the myth of Canada as a safe haven for Black people.
Revolution Remix
An exploration of two era-defining Black empowerment events in 1960s Montreal.
Northern Beats
The story of the roots of Canadian hip hop, told by the pioneers of the genre.
Migrations
Black migrants share intimate and personal stories of trying to create a home in Canada.
Creation Insists
A look at the work of six Black Canadian artists.
More than a Game
A chronicle of the lives of Black Canadian athletes that delves into their rise and the challenges they faced.
Justice Denied
Scholars and activists analyze the historic criminalization of Black Canadians.
Claiming Space
A look at the growth of Black communities and their resistance to systemic displacement.
About the filmmaker
Leslie Norville, showrunner and executive producer
Leslie Norville is an Emmy Award-winning producer whose films have screened at festivals around the globe, including SXSW, Tribeca, Hot Docs, Doc NYC and IDFA and on various networks including Hulu, PBS, CBC, Sundance Channel and VH1.
Norville's credits include the feature documentary A Ballerina's Tale about Misty Copeland, the first African American principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre; Brooklyn Boheme; Disdain The Mundane, part of ESPN's Emmy Award-winning "30 for 30" shorts series; Finding The Funk, co-executive produced By Grammy Award-winner Questlove; and Any Given Day, which premiered at Hot Docs 2021. She is an alumnus of the Sundance Documentary Creative Producing Fellowship. Her recent documentary projects include The First Wave for Neon/National Geographic, directed by Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman.
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.
