The Hum Podcast
The Hum is a podcast that cuts straight to the heart of human rights stories. Raw, honest and uncensored, from the people who have lived them first-hand.
Real people. Real stories. Every other Tuesday.
- Update frequency
- every 13 days
- Average duration
- 36 minutes
- Episodes
- 50
- Years Active
- 2016 - 2021
S03E10: If People Don't See Us As Human, Then All Of This Is Okay
On August 9, 2016, Colten Boushie, a 22-year old Indigenous man, was shot in the back of the head by Gerald Stanley, sparking a national discussion about race relations in Canada. Stanley was acquitt…
S03E09: We Don't See Their Struggle
Scarlet Estrada is an activist from Venezuela and a relative of political prisoners under the Maduro regime. She joins us to discuss the confusion around the Venezuelan crisis, reframing political pr…
S03E08: Are You Taking Up Space Or Creating Space?
Hosts Gilad Cohen and Simona Ramkisson open up to each other on this very special episode of The Hum. Catch up on what they have been up to in their personal lives, their thoughts on “wokeness” as a …
S03E07: I Persevered And Here I Am
Spencer West is a motivational speaker, an activist for accessibility, and an individual who lost his legs at the age of 5. He talks about growing up in Wyoming as a gay man living with a disability,…
S03E06: We Were Meant To Be Assimilated Or Exterminated
Jeremy Dutcher is an award-winning musician, activist and two-spirited Wolastoqiyik from the Tobique First Nation. He joins Gilad Cohen and special guest host Blanche Israël to discuss reconciliation…
S03E05: You May Not Know They're A Slave
Julie Francoeur is the Executive Director of FairTrade and a lifelong advocate of ending the modern day slave trade. She joins us this week to discuss how people get caught up in slavery, how it find…
S03E04: I Was Now Fighting The System Rather Than Myself
Vuyiseka Dubula-Majola is a mother of three, a woman living with HIV, and an activist for accessible treatment in South Africa. She joins us this week to discuss the process of being diagnosed with H…
S03E03: You Have To Be Part Of The Change
Major Monique Brown is an eighteen-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Force and the first African American woman to hold that position. She joins us to discuss the documentary Charm City (HRFF 2018…
S03E02: This Is Me, Now You Get To See All Of Me
Sargent Nina Usherwood is a nearly 40-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force, an inspirational speaker and a trans woman. She joins us to discuss her struggles coming out in the military, the c…
S03E01: We Feel Like We're Invalidated For Our Service
Laila Ireland is a veteran of the U.S. Army, a transgender woman, and an activist. She joins us to discuss her experience filming the documentary TransMilitary (Human Rights Film Festival Opening Fil…
S02E10: We Think Of Our Racism As Out Of The Ordinary
Syrus Marcus Ware is an artist, activist and core member of Black Lives Matter Toronto. He joins us to discuss his experience as a trans father, how he uses art for social change, and why Canadians h…
S02E09: I Will Not Be Silent
Alice Kim was the daughter of two high ranking government officials in North Korea before defecting as a one year old. She joins us this week to discuss how defecting from North Korea affected her fa…
S02E08: I Needed Any Kind Of Indication That There Was Beauty Out There
Lia Grimanis is an autistic survivor of abuse who went from homeless teen to business leader and advocate. She joins us this week to discuss our misunderstandings about mental health and homelessness…
S02E07: I Had No Idea What Being Native Was
Colleen Cardinal is a mother, author, and survivor of the Sixties Scoop. She joins us this week to talk about how she perceived being Indigenous as a child, intergenerational trauma, and how Canada h…
S02E06: The Battles Are Fought In The Mind And Won In The Heart
Before becoming a world renowned hip-hop sensation and activist, Emmanuel Jal grew up as a child soldier in what is now known as South Sudan. He joins us this week to talk about his childhood, how mu…
S02E05: I Tried My Best As A Kid To Fit In
Hosts Gilad Cohen and Simona Ramkisson open up to each other this week. What shaped their interest in human rights? How do they deal with micro-aggressions and racism? And what possessed them to dye …
S02E04: The Internet Is A Pretty Effective Weapon
Emmy-nominated filmmaker Cynthia Lowen has seen firsthand how cyber abuse can have an impact outside the chat room. She joins us today to discuss her film Netizens, the gender dynamics of being on th…
S02E03: Naming It Sexual Assault Is One Of The Biggest Barriers
On January 31, 2015 Mandi Gray was reportedly sexually assaulted by a fellow student at York University. Mandi drops by to talk about institutional betrayal, naming sexual assault, and becoming one o…
S02E02: Toxic Masculinity Is Where It Begins
On October 12, 2013, Scott Jones’ life changed in an instant when he was left paralyzed from the waist down in an anti-gay hate crime. Scott and his close friend, Laura Marie Wayne sit down with us t…
S02E01: He Was Shot Down In The Street Like An Animal
On September 24, 2014, Jermaine Carby was shot dead by Peel Regional Police. His cousin and close friend La Tanya Grant discusses who Jermaine was and shares insights on the controversial practice of…