CULTURE SHIFT: DAMON KWAME MASON ON BLACK HOCKEY CULTURE & ATLANTA'S POTENTIAL

Damon Kwame Mason has spent years documenting the untold history of Black players in hockey. His documentary Soul on Ice: Past, Present & Future sheds light on the deep-rooted Black contributions to the sport, the challenges Black players face, and the cultural shifts still needed for hockey to become a truly inclusive game. 

I sat down with Kwame to discuss the Black experience in hockey, why representation matters, how Atlanta could be the next hockey hotbed, and, because we had to, his take on the recent hip-hop battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. 

KB: Soul on Ice highlights the rich and often untold history of Black hockey. What inspired you to tell this story, and what did you hope to achieve with it? 

DKM: Growing up in Canada, hockey was always around me, but as I got older, I realized how little I knew about Black contributions to the game. One night in Edmonton, I saw a Black player at a club with his teammates, and it hit me, what’s his experience like being the only Black guy in that space? 

I started researching, and I came across the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes. That blew my mind. I was in my early forties and had never heard about it. How is that possible? That frustration pushed me to create Soul on Ice. I wanted to make a film that someone like you, someone working to diversify hockey, could find and use. A historical document that proves we’ve been here. 

KB: A lot of us in the U.S., especially in the South, weren’t aware of Nova Scotia’s hockey legacy. What did you learn about its significance during your research? 

DKM: Nova Scotia is a direct link between Black Americans and Black Canadians. When enslaved people escaped north, many settled there and built their own communities. These kids wanted to play hockey but weren’t allowed to play with white teams. So, two men with church ties started a league as a way to bring young Black men into the congregation. 

That’s a testament to Black resilience. Every time we’re told we can’t do something, we create our own lane. That’s what happened with hockey in Nova Scotia. 

KB: You touched on something powerful, hockey never really had a Jackie Robinson or Bill Russell moment [having a Black player dominate early in the league’s history]. How different would the sport look if someone like Herb Carnegie had been allowed to play in the NHL at his peak? 

DKM: That’s one of the biggest what-ifs in hockey history. Carnegie wasn’t just the best Black player; he was one of the best players. Period. Imagine if he had broken into the NHL at his prime. He would’ve been lighting up the scoreboard, and Black kids across Canada would’ve seen his name in the papers and thought, I want to be him.

That’s what happened in baseball, football, and basketball. Black players came in, dominated, and inspired generations. Hockey never got that moment. 

KB: How do we change that now? 

DKM: Representation matters, but it’s not just about having Black players in the NHL. It’s about showing kids the game early. We don’t introduce hockey to Black kids at three or four years old the way we do with basketball and football. If we did, we’d have a different conversation in ten years. 

It’s also about front-office roles. When more Black people work behind the scenes, coaching, management, media, it creates a pipeline. Those people will put their kids in hockey, and they’ll promote the sport in their communities. 

KB: Atlanta has had two NHL teams come and go. What needs to happen for hockey to work here? DKM: Atlanta has a deep Black culture, music, fashion, storytelling. That’s your entry point. Hip-hop artists, R&B singers, actors, get them to games. Let them talk about the experience. Hockey is a sport where if you see it live, you’ll get hooked. But you have to make people feel invited. 

If Atlanta gets another NHL team, they need to go all in on making it Atlanta’s team. Not just another transplant hockey team. Lean into the culture, and the fan base will follow. 

KB: What role do community events like Black Ambition Night play in growing the game? 

DKM: Education. If people don’t know the history, they don’t see themselves in the sport. Imagine screening Soul on Ice in Atlanta. You’d have people walking out of that theater realizing, we built part of this game. That changes how you look at hockey. 

KB: Alright, I have to ask, Drake vs. Kendrick. As a Black man from Toronto, what’s your take? DKM: (Laughs) Look, I’m Canadian, but I have no problem saying Drake lost. And that’s fine, it was great for the culture. What I didn’t like was the lawsuit stuff. That set a bad precedent. Battle rap is supposed to be disrespectful. That’s the whole point. But let’s be real, America has been waiting to knock Drake down. He’s had a fourteen-year run that nobody else in hip-hop history has had. As soon as they saw an opening, they went for it. 

KB: What’s next for you? 

DKM: We’re working on a tribute video for Willie O’Ree, and in 2026, we’ll celebrate Soul on Ice’s ten-year anniversary. I’d love to do a re-release with something new added to it. Maybe even bring it to Atlanta for a special screening. 

KB: Let’s make that happen. 

DKM: Say less. I’m there