—It is Black History Month, and every day this month, The Message will be sharing short profiles of Black professionals from across the industry: marketing, advertising, PR, media and production. Written by POCAM members, the profiles are a way to “fight invisibility,” an exercise in representation for an industry where representation must get better—

Cam Litchmore is a creative marketing and communications professional with a long history of developing creative initiatives and programming spanning music, film, arts, and public speaking.

Currently a freelance marketing and publicity coordinator, he also works as a radio host at ISO Radio, a community-led online radio station and music discovery platform based in downtown Toronto. A penchant for storytelling, and curiosity about what brings a project from ideation to finished product, were big factors in his decision to enter the industry.

Breaking into the industry had some challenges, but he remained focused on finding work that appealed to his innate curiosity. He offers this advice to young Black talent looking to break into the industry: “Take the time to uncover and explore the things that stay with you,” he said. “How you develop your style and approaches are the things that you’re often already paying attention to.”

“I enjoy co-hosting Solidarity In Sound on ISO Radio” explained Litchmore. “I get to curate and interview a wide range of domestic and international musicians, publicists, and journalists such as Joy Crookes, Lolo Zouaï, Lex Amor, Boston Chery, and Dalton Higgins in discussions on gender and music.”

Litchmore finds inspiration in others with a multidisciplinary mindset. “I deeply admire the work of multidisciplinary designer and creative director Laci Jordan,” he said. “I appreciate her constant exploration into different mediums, her focus on the representation of Black women, and her creative uses of colours and shapes. Laci often talks about pushing the needle with storytelling and remaining grounded in the work that she does, which is really enriching for me.”

He also recently co-produced a speakers’ series featuring renowned American political activist, philosopher, academic, and author Angela Davis. Two years in the making, the event drew more than 1,000 people.

“I’m proud of that project, and want to keep building relationships and creating spaces that provide tangible support to my community, where we can speak and advocate about the things that have the deepest impacts on us,” said Litchmore.

Another of his passion projects is Solidarity in Sound (SIS), a Toronto-based education platform that focuses on equipping women and non-binary people with tools and resources to advance their careers in the music industry.

“We organize events and workshops, host a radio show, and run a series titled ‘Herstory’” he said.  “And it aligns to my personal mantra to create more than we consume.”