‘It’s about being the story’: How Julian Taylor embraced his intersectional identity [Video]

Growing up, Julian Taylor struggled with his identity. 

“Never black enough to be Black, never red enough to be red – sort of stuck in the middle,” the Toronto-based singer-songwriter told Unreserved host Rosanna Deerchild. 

The roots musician has Caribbean and Mohawk ancestry, and he says even though he felt stuck trying to navigate his identity as a young person, he also felt incredibly proud of it. 

Taylor, 46,  grew up in Toronto and always had strong ties to his family, an important fact that hasn’t been lost on him. 

“I know that is not something that has happened to many people. Even people in my family went through the childcare system and they didn’t really know who they were,” he said. “I was very fortunate to know and to have the people in my life who influenced me and shaped me.” 

For many years Taylor left his Mohawk identity, which comes from Kahnawake on his mother’s side, out of his music. …