Ghanaian Canadian
Ghanaian Canadians are Canadians of full or partial Ghanaian ancestry. Ghanaians who became naturalized citizens of Canada preferably refer to themselves as ''Ghanaian Canadians''.
Overview
Ghanaians first immigrated to Canada in the 1960s. Many ...
writer, broadcaster, and academic. In 2021, she was appointed Carty Chair in Journalism, Diversity and Inclusion Studies at
Carleton University
Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World ...
’s
School of Journalism
A journalism school is a school or department, usually part of an established university, where journalists are trained. 'J-School' is an increasingly used term for a journalism department at a school or college.
Journalists in most parts of the ...
.
From 2016 until 2020 she was host of the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
's Ontario weekend morning show ''Fresh Air''. She also hosts and produces the podcast Media Girlfriends. She went on leave from ''Fresh Air'' in the fall of 2020 in order to accept a position as a William Southam Journalism Fellow at Toronto’s Massey College.
Biography
Duncan was born in Accra, Ghana and raised in Newmarket, Ontario. She studied
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
before completing a Masters in journalism at the
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by resident ...
. Prior to becoming the host of ''Fresh Air'' in 2017, Duncan appeared on and wrote for other CBC shows including '' Go'' and ''
Radio 2 Top 20
''CBC Music Top 20'', formerly ''Radio 2 Top 20'', is a Canadian radio record chart program, which airs across Canada on the CBC Music network. She also contributed to local Black-owned media publications in the GTA, including ''The Ghanaian News''.
In 2016 Duncan participated in a Women in Media panel at
Cawthra Park Secondary School
Cawthra Park Secondary School, also known as CPSS, is a public high school built-in 1972 located in Southeast Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is one of two Regional Arts Schools in the Peel District School Board. Cawthra Park provides instructi ...
as part of a
Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...
event alongside Nneka Elliott, Arisa Cox, Karlyn Percil-Mercieca, and
Jully Black
Jully Black (born Jullyann Inderia Gordon Black, November 8, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, producer and actress. She has collaborated and written for many artists, including Nas, Saukrates, Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, Destiny's Child ...
. During the event Duncan discussed the challenges of working in news environments with predominantly white directors and producers. She has also spoken publicly about the gender pay gap. In a 2019 interview Duncan shared that as a new professional she "didn’t realize negotiating was something I could even consider," and has since shifted to discussing salary and negotiating with women colleagues. The experiences of women in media, including their careers and personal lives, is a central theme of her podcast Media Girlfriends. It launched in 2016 and has evolved to include in-person discussion panels, mentoring, and the funding of scholarships for women and non-binary journalism students.
Duncan was selected as one of 30 women to participate in the first cohort of Poynter's 2020 Leadership Academy for Women in Media. The same year she was also featured in Our Mosaic Lives, a Black History Month exhibit at the Lakeshore location of the Innisfil Public Library, celebrating the accomplishments of Black women and girls. In addition to her radio broadcast work, Duncan regularly hosts and moderates media events. From 2009 to 2010 she toured schools across the country alongside performers Eternia and Masai One as part of Because I am A Girl, aimed at fostering female empowerment and community involvement.
See also
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CBC Podcast Showcase
''CBC Podcast Showcase'' is a radio program on broadcast on CBC Radio One, focusing on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's original podcast productions. It is hosted by Nana aba Duncan.
It features excerpts from the podcasts which include radi ...