Should Black Americans Seek Refuge in Canada? (feat. LT the Monk)

As political instability, racial violence, and growing uncertainty leave more Black Americans asking whether it is time to leave the United States, Canada is often imagined as the most logical destination. It has universal healthcare, stronger social services, and a long-standing reputation as the place where enslaved Black people once found freedom. But is Canada truly a racial safe haven? In this episode of Crim’s Class Podcast, I speak with artist, historian, content creator, and author LTtheMonk about his new book, *Learn Something Knew: Black Canadian History You Weren’t Taught in School*. We discuss what Canada may offer Black Americans, but we also confront the history that its “good guy” image frequently conceals. From the Ku Klux Klan terrorizing an interracial couple in Ontario to Confederate flags in Montreal, attacks on Black communities, the genocide of Indigenous peoples, and the quieter forms of racism that remain difficult to name, LT explains why crossing a national border does not mean crossing beyond anti-Blackness. We also explore the radical legacy of Josiah Henson, the formerly enslaved abolitionist often reduced to the supposed inspiration for “Uncle Tom,” despite helping more than 100 people escape slavery and building a Black settlement in Canada. Canada should not be painted with one broad stroke. Neither should the United States. This conversation is not about declaring one country entirely good and the other entirely evil. It is about understanding the full history before deciding where freedom can be found.