Charmant Kemakuko: Driven by purpose

Charmant Kemakuko joined CBC/Radio-Canada in 2017 as a talent acquisition specialist. Four years later, the CBC content fan got a dream opportunity - to oversee operations as Head of Staff for CBC Entertainment, Factual and Sports. What led him there, you may wonder? Certainly his passion for and knowledge of our content as an avid listener and watcher (on his personal time, even prior to joining the public broadcaster!); but, most importantly, his great ability to create an inclusive work environment and support colleagues in their development journeys.

In addition to ensuring operations run smoothly, Charmant plays an active role in national projects, strategies, initiatives and committees that champion diversity and inclusion, staff development, and outreach. We sat down with him to learn more about how he gets involved, the launch of the National Indigenous Strategy and his passion for our content.

You participate in several initiatives and committees focused on raising the visibility of underrepresented groups. Can you tell me more about your engagement?

It started during my time in Talent Acquisition where, in addition to my usual recruitment job, I helped launch CAPE, a placement program reserved for people with disabilities. I was acting as a member of our national group dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion while working closely with the Equity & Inclusion team. That's also when I joined the Visible Women¹ employee resource group as an ally member. It was a way for me to learn and support people, and I ended up getting much more out of it than I could have imagined. I wouldn't be in this position today if it wasn't for all the learning I did with them.

It made me want to become more involved with employee resource groups. For close to two years now, I've been the executive sponsor for DiversifyCBC, which is open to all different diversities, and I'm a member of the Black Collective. I act as an adviser for them. Along with other groups, The Black Collective has supported CBC outreach initiatives to help us be more present in the communities we want to serve better.

What does this part of your work mean to you?

I find satisfaction in meaningful work and conversations. When I was a recruiter, I used to give people feedback after interviews; a lot of them didn't know who to talk to, or where to find support and resources. In my career, I've been fortunate enough to cross paths with people doing this with me. Leaders such as Sally Catto, Susan Marjetti, Nicky Davis, Catherine Gregory, Monica Parenti, and Marco Dubé have been there for me. So, I feel it's only right for me to do the same thing for others; plus, it makes work more meaningful.

You also contributed to the development of the National Indigenous Strategy launched earlier this month. How did you become involved with the Indigenous Strategy Working Group?

I've been familiar with the project from the beginning, as I was involved in the hiring of the Indigenous adviser in charge of strategy development due to my relationship with the Equity & Inclusion team. After changing roles in 2021, I got an invitation from Robert Doane, the hired adviser, to join the Indigenous Strategy Working Group, composed of Indigenous and non-Indigenous employees.

When the group began, we saw the National Indigenous Strategy as a way to create equitable opportunities, supporting representation and self-determination for Indigenous Peoples. To develop it, we went through a lot of conversation, listening sessions, documentation, and research. The journey was so important, we needed to do our homework and not rush the process. We then held meetings across the country to hear from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. I was fortunate enough to be invited to contribute to the strategy writers' retreat in April 2023. Twelve of us gathered for a week to start putting all the info together and inform our choice of pillars and key initiatives. Our time there was one that I will forever carry with me. Whether it was going to the gym with Robert or staying up late with colleagues, having candid conversations about life in general and the impact of the work we were doing, I cherished it all.

It was very humbling to be given the opportunity to be part of something so historic, especially me not being an Indigenous, Inuit, or Métis, but a Black person from a different continent who grew up in the U.S. with not much knowledge of either Turtle Island nor the resilience of its peoples and their beautifully diverse histories and cultures. It was a privilege to be part of this group of wonderful and smart people to do this work.

What is your takeaway from that experience?

I learned so many things. I got to learn how important it is to name the different groups - the First Nations, Inuit and Métis - and not to look at them as one entity. There are many nations with different cultures and aspirations.

I also learned the strength in being persistent. When we started this work, there were a lot of people doubting our ability to deliver - that there would just be too many challenges and barriers. Colleagues went above and beyond the call of duty, and did whatever it took to get to the finish line. It was inspiring. Shout out to Nic Meloney, whose sense of humor and commitment to this work helped create a great environment.

How do you foresee the National Indigenous Strategy translating into concrete actions in your division?

We've already started implementing the lessons learned along the way.

First for us is representation. We knew that it was important not only on-screen but also behind the screen. We need to have Indigenous peoples on the key creative team when we tell Indigenous stories and have them at the table when discussing other stories too. Some of this has already been implemented with our production partners in our representation commitments.

To make sure that this work is supported, we have assigned about 15 colleagues from across our division to be their team lead in order for us to track progress and be accountable to the implementation for this strategy.

It's also important for us to continue to listen to our Indigenous colleagues for suggestions and feedback as we do this work. We connect with All Nations, an employee-led group that connects and advocates for Indigenous employees. Our inclusion team which includes both Sally Catto, our general manager and Jen Dettman, Head of Unscripted, meets with All Nations to continue to learn how to better support their objectives.

As another example, we're looking at expanding the Indigenous Pathways program² (currently for News) to our division. It was pitched by an Indigenous colleague, Lenard Monkman, and we're hoping to make it happen in the near future. It will help build representation within our team.

What do you like the most about your job?

I like coaching and mentoring; it allows me to help others develop themselves. When I joined Sally Catto's leadership team, working closely with Justine Fung and Nairi Apkarian, we put in place a development journey for all interested colleagues in our division. We always make sure we have time for anyone who reaches out for career coaching or development conversations. We care about CBC and about helping others grow. It's a privilege for us to be given space in people's journey to help them and potentially make a positive difference.

You're also known as a mentor and a vocal advocate for the advancement of colleagues and communities of different backgrounds, including Black colleagues and communities. How do you live out this commitment day-to-day and what do you dream about in your role?

I could spend hours answering this question because I strongly believe in people's development and connecting with communities, both internally and externally. Shortly after joining Visible Women, I decided to start paying more attention to others' needs and to look for ways where I could be more helpful to people. This motivation drove me to have many valuable conversations with colleagues and leaders. I was also motivated by people like Nicky Davis and Sally Catto to make myself available to those who might have needed guidance on their journey here. It has been a blessing for me to have been allowed by many colleagues to have honest conversations about their experiences here, which have included some difficult ones. It's in those conversations that I also heard about the opportunity for CBC to connect better with our audiences. Especially with younger and equity-deserving groups. With the blessings of Sally and Barb [Williams] along with the support of Equity & Inclusion, Collab and the Marketing team, we have been doing work that communities are finding meaningful through different initiatives. My hope is that in the future, there will be even more funding to reach some of the communities that we have opportunities to better connect with, such as new immigrants, Indigenous, Asian and Black communities. As a Black Canadian immigrant who has been working for the public broadcaster for close to seven years now, I'm so proud of the content that both CBC and Radio-Canada are making for all Canadians, and for Black Canadians in particular.

I enjoyed the recent launch of a new Radio-Canada show called Lakay Nou, which portrays a Haitian Canadian and immigrant story taking place in Montreal. As part of Black History Month, I have been enjoying a CBC documentary series called For the Culture with Amanda Parris, who takes us on a journey to different destinations where she discusses with Black people important topics about our communities. It's a reminder that Black History Month isn't just a time to celebrate Black accomplishments and contributions but also a time to appreciate the diversity within Black populations around the world. A diversity that includes different opinions about Black History Month itself. To those who celebrate this month, happy Black History Month.