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My Fighting Family: Borders and Bloodlines and the Battles That Made Us
The debut memoir from award-winning journalist Morgan an incredible history of a family’s battles across generations, a hilarious and emotional coming-of-age story, and a powerful reckoning with what it means to be Black in Canada—particularly when you have strong American roots.
Morgan Campbell comes from “a fighting family,” a connection and clash that reaches back to the south side of Chicago in the 1930s. His father’s and mother’s families were both part of the Great Migration from the U.S. rural south to the industrial north, but a history of perceived slights and social-class differences solidified a great feud that only intensified over the course of the century after the families came together in marriage and split up across the border.
Morgan’s maternal grandfather, Claude Jones—a legendary grudge-holder, as well was an accomplished musician, peer of Oscar Peterson, and fixture of the Chicago jazz scene—was recruited to play some shows in Toronto, fell in love with the city, and eventually settled in Canada in the mid-1960s, paving the way for Morgan’s parents to join him amid the tumult of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. Morgan’s paternal grandmother, Granny Mary, however, remained stateside, a distance her schemes and resentments would only grow to fill.
That fighting spirit wasn’t limited to the family’s own squabbles, though—it animated the way every generation moved through the world. From battling back as a group against white supremacist newcomers who violently resisted Black neighbours, to Morgan’s pre-teen mother burnishing her own legend by cold-cocking some racist loudmouth bullies, the lesson was sometimes words weren’t enough.
In Canada, the Campbells started a family of their own, but the tensions between in-laws never ceased, even as divorce and disease threatened the very foundations of the life they’d built. Bearing witness to all of this was young Morgan, an aspiring writer, budding star athlete, and slow-jam scholar, whose deep American roots landed him an outsider status that led to its own schoolyard scraps and exposed the profound gap between Canada’s utopian multicultural reputation and the very different reality.
Having grown up bouncing between these disparate identities and nationalities, real or imagined—Black and Canadian, Canadian and American, Campbell and Jones— My Fighting Family is a witty, wise, rich, and soulful illumination of the journey to find clarity in all that conflict.
Morgan Campbell comes from “a fighting family,” a connection and clash that reaches back to the south side of Chicago in the 1930s. His father’s and mother’s families were both part of the Great Migration from the U.S. rural south to the industrial north, but a history of perceived slights and social-class differences solidified a great feud that only intensified over the course of the century after the families came together in marriage and split up across the border.
Morgan’s maternal grandfather, Claude Jones—a legendary grudge-holder, as well was an accomplished musician, peer of Oscar Peterson, and fixture of the Chicago jazz scene—was recruited to play some shows in Toronto, fell in love with the city, and eventually settled in Canada in the mid-1960s, paving the way for Morgan’s parents to join him amid the tumult of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. Morgan’s paternal grandmother, Granny Mary, however, remained stateside, a distance her schemes and resentments would only grow to fill.
That fighting spirit wasn’t limited to the family’s own squabbles, though—it animated the way every generation moved through the world. From battling back as a group against white supremacist newcomers who violently resisted Black neighbours, to Morgan’s pre-teen mother burnishing her own legend by cold-cocking some racist loudmouth bullies, the lesson was sometimes words weren’t enough.
In Canada, the Campbells started a family of their own, but the tensions between in-laws never ceased, even as divorce and disease threatened the very foundations of the life they’d built. Bearing witness to all of this was young Morgan, an aspiring writer, budding star athlete, and slow-jam scholar, whose deep American roots landed him an outsider status that led to its own schoolyard scraps and exposed the profound gap between Canada’s utopian multicultural reputation and the very different reality.
Having grown up bouncing between these disparate identities and nationalities, real or imagined—Black and Canadian, Canadian and American, Campbell and Jones— My Fighting Family is a witty, wise, rich, and soulful illumination of the journey to find clarity in all that conflict.
- GenresMemoirNonfictionCanada
336 pages, Hardcover
Published January 23, 2024
3 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Campbell
1 book10 followersMORGAN CAMPBELL is an award-winning journalist, currently a senior contributor at CBC Sports and a contributor to The New York Times. For over 18 years, he worked at the Toronto Star and established himself as one of Canada’s finest sports writers, displaying both a range and depth of knowledge, finding original stories and telling them with flair and nuance. He covered sports as varied as boxing, baseball and soccer. Morgan’s best work highlighted where sport intersected with off-the-field issues like race, culture, politics and business.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 12, 2024
My Fighting Family by Morgan Campbell
Campbell’s writing reflects all the complexities of family, culture clash, language and unexpected turns in life.
This is such a relatable family! There is an unending number of situations all families go through. However, I must say I have learnt a lot in terms of culture by reading this memoir.
I picked this quote as one tiny example:
“By fifteen, I could hear in Black American English a unique species of a common language, not just slang or a collection of broken grammatical rules. I learned from listening to my dad that “don’t say nothing” doesn’t mean “say something.” It means the opposite. “Don’t say a damn thing.” A double negative doesn’t make a positive.”
I would have never imagined that a double negative doesn’t make a positive. I’ve heard this phrase a billion times, never actually grasped its meaning.
All families go through health condition and this one was not the exception. When cancer stroke the Campbells, it was tough. And here I learnt how we all mourn differently and how families behave after a loved one passed.
I chose this quote as I found it funny and inspiring as well!
“Except my grandpa wasn’t just a survivor. He was, as far as the public knew, an advocate and a fighter on behalf of everyone with cancer. At some point during treatment and recovery, Grandpa connected with the Canadian Cancer Society, which featured him in a campaign. Soon after, you started seeing a portrait of Claude Jones”
Unfortunately, Morgan’s dad didn’t make it. There, all the family got together. They mourned together in their own way but Granny Mary had her private agenda…
God the furnitures! That family of yours!
Should I laugh or should I cry? Wow!
I guess that we are not so different after all, right?
I don’t know if I truly learnt about football but I certainly learnt that it’s a passion and that it definitely made a huge part of the backbone of this family!
Identity crisis is all over this memoir and it’s certainly the most amazing journey. Campbell tackled it with wit, humor and dignity.
I loved this memoir and thank you @morganpcambell you’ve made me laugh and cry a lot! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Campbell’s writing reflects all the complexities of family, culture clash, language and unexpected turns in life.
This is such a relatable family! There is an unending number of situations all families go through. However, I must say I have learnt a lot in terms of culture by reading this memoir.
I picked this quote as one tiny example:
“By fifteen, I could hear in Black American English a unique species of a common language, not just slang or a collection of broken grammatical rules. I learned from listening to my dad that “don’t say nothing” doesn’t mean “say something.” It means the opposite. “Don’t say a damn thing.” A double negative doesn’t make a positive.”
I would have never imagined that a double negative doesn’t make a positive. I’ve heard this phrase a billion times, never actually grasped its meaning.
All families go through health condition and this one was not the exception. When cancer stroke the Campbells, it was tough. And here I learnt how we all mourn differently and how families behave after a loved one passed.
I chose this quote as I found it funny and inspiring as well!
“Except my grandpa wasn’t just a survivor. He was, as far as the public knew, an advocate and a fighter on behalf of everyone with cancer. At some point during treatment and recovery, Grandpa connected with the Canadian Cancer Society, which featured him in a campaign. Soon after, you started seeing a portrait of Claude Jones”
Unfortunately, Morgan’s dad didn’t make it. There, all the family got together. They mourned together in their own way but Granny Mary had her private agenda…
God the furnitures! That family of yours!
Should I laugh or should I cry? Wow!
I guess that we are not so different after all, right?
I don’t know if I truly learnt about football but I certainly learnt that it’s a passion and that it definitely made a huge part of the backbone of this family!
Identity crisis is all over this memoir and it’s certainly the most amazing journey. Campbell tackled it with wit, humor and dignity.
I loved this memoir and thank you @morganpcambell you’ve made me laugh and cry a lot! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
October 22, 2024
An outstanding book that is very well written, smartly paced, gut-wrenching, frank, witty, and utterly engrossing. A scorchingly authentic romp through the past to elucidate the present in word and message that will resonate into the future. Memoir at its finest!
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February 22, 2024My interview with Campbell discussing the book is here:
https://umfm.com/programming/broadcas...
https://umfm.com/programming/broadcas...
February 16, 2025
This was an excellent recollection of family history, I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook, which was narrated by the author. Storytelling is a craft that Mr. Campbell has clearly mastered, perfectly balancing humour and vulnerability. Rarely does an audiobook get to laugh out loud as much as this one has, while also causing me to gasp from shock and outrage, then making me ugly cry. I'd absolutely recommend picking it up.
While I borrowed my audiobook from the library, my husband is the reason I searched it out. He picked up his copy during a book signing at the Oshawa Indigo and I'm so glad he did. I can personally attest that not only is Mr. Campbell a talented author but his sister makes the most delicious cookies ☺️
While I borrowed my audiobook from the library, my husband is the reason I searched it out. He picked up his copy during a book signing at the Oshawa Indigo and I'm so glad he did. I can personally attest that not only is Mr. Campbell a talented author but his sister makes the most delicious cookies ☺️
March 30, 2024
This is such a deep and interesting look at a family and their roots from a Black man raised in Canada with ties to the US also. It’s a love letter to self, football, family, ancestors, culture, and how your surroundings impact how you’re raised as much as the people do.
March 11, 2024
Some interesting moments. Very choppy. A family tree diagram would have allowed more examining and less explaining.
March 17, 2026
Wanted to like it more but it’s filled with so many details that I just do not care about. At all. It was a struggle to get through this, I’m not gunna lie. I just don’t care about football, or music to the extent that he wrote about it.
I found myself skimming parts because I just did not care.
I do wish we got more family history and stories. I want to hear more about his parents and grandparents. I wanna know more about their family history and fights and dramas. I wanted more about what it was like for his grandfather to travel and play music. More about his family members growing up in segregated places. I don’t know, just more stories about them. But, to be fair, this is HIS memoir about HIS life. I, personally, just wasn’t the audience for it.
Also, this book would have benefitted from including a family tree. He throws out names and I would have no idea who he was talking about or how they were related to him, because he first mentioned them 10 chapters ago, and inevitably I forgot who they were when he mentioned them again.
I only finished this because I have a book club meeting and by putting the audiobook on 3x speed.
I think this is a good book for someone who grew up in the 80’s-90’s in the GTA and who is interested in sports and music from that time.
I found myself skimming parts because I just did not care.
I do wish we got more family history and stories. I want to hear more about his parents and grandparents. I wanna know more about their family history and fights and dramas. I wanted more about what it was like for his grandfather to travel and play music. More about his family members growing up in segregated places. I don’t know, just more stories about them. But, to be fair, this is HIS memoir about HIS life. I, personally, just wasn’t the audience for it.
Also, this book would have benefitted from including a family tree. He throws out names and I would have no idea who he was talking about or how they were related to him, because he first mentioned them 10 chapters ago, and inevitably I forgot who they were when he mentioned them again.
I only finished this because I have a book club meeting and by putting the audiobook on 3x speed.
I think this is a good book for someone who grew up in the 80’s-90’s in the GTA and who is interested in sports and music from that time.
September 1, 2025
I listened to sports journalist Morgan Campbell narrate his book and I'm really glad I did. His memoir came much more alive to me than I think it would have if I had read the print version.
Morgan writes about his life growing up in Mississauga, Ontario and the background of his family, Black Americans who moved to Canada in the 1960's before he was born in 1976. As the title indicates, there was a great deal of feuding between different branches of the family. Some of his anecdotes are funny, some are moving, all are interesting. I found many of the stories that he tells about his grandfather, jazz pianist Claude Jones, to be quite sad. The same with the stories about Grandma Mary. Initially, I felt that Morgan was very bitter (justifiably) in telling his stories from his point of view as a child and teenager. But then, later in the book, describing his point of view as an adult, he shows how maturity has changed his perspective.
I was also very interested in his comments on race in Canada vs the United States. He very astutely points out that Canada may seem to be less racist on the surface but it definitely is not free of racial prejudice.
Morgan writes about his life growing up in Mississauga, Ontario and the background of his family, Black Americans who moved to Canada in the 1960's before he was born in 1976. As the title indicates, there was a great deal of feuding between different branches of the family. Some of his anecdotes are funny, some are moving, all are interesting. I found many of the stories that he tells about his grandfather, jazz pianist Claude Jones, to be quite sad. The same with the stories about Grandma Mary. Initially, I felt that Morgan was very bitter (justifiably) in telling his stories from his point of view as a child and teenager. But then, later in the book, describing his point of view as an adult, he shows how maturity has changed his perspective.
I was also very interested in his comments on race in Canada vs the United States. He very astutely points out that Canada may seem to be less racist on the surface but it definitely is not free of racial prejudice.
February 4, 2025
I actually know Morgan -- he might see this review! -- so this was a very interesting experience, reading the details of someone's early life and having new dimensions added to my understanding of his personality.
If you *don't* know Morgan, however, this is still a worthwhile read.
A common mistake white people make is believing that Black culture is monolithic. This misapprehension could be remedied by asking 10 different Black people what they think of Bill Cosby. In Canada, this often means creating a mental mishmash of Caribbean culture (the majority of Black Canadians have roots in Britain's colonies there) and African American culture.
The story of Morgan's family will help broaden your understanding of some of those differences.
As a person of Scottish descent, it's also relatable. My family is constantly feuding and holding decades-long grudges over disagreements that are already fuzzy in our shared memory. His insights into Grammy Mary will be something I mull over for a long time.
If you *don't* know Morgan, however, this is still a worthwhile read.
A common mistake white people make is believing that Black culture is monolithic. This misapprehension could be remedied by asking 10 different Black people what they think of Bill Cosby. In Canada, this often means creating a mental mishmash of Caribbean culture (the majority of Black Canadians have roots in Britain's colonies there) and African American culture.
The story of Morgan's family will help broaden your understanding of some of those differences.
As a person of Scottish descent, it's also relatable. My family is constantly feuding and holding decades-long grudges over disagreements that are already fuzzy in our shared memory. His insights into Grammy Mary will be something I mull over for a long time.
December 5, 2025
Listened, audio by the author Morgan Campbell. I had the opportunity to meet him at the Brampton Literary events in May. During the interview hosted by Mattea Roach, Morgan was engaging and captured the hearts of the auditorium.
This memoir is spectacular on family/drama,growing up in the GTA, and questioning the all the “why”s of life. Be prepared for lots of giggles, tears (have the tissues handy) and lessons (including football).
Your mom must be so proud of you! Pleasure to talk with you personally. I think your mom needs to write a memoir too! Sending much positivity and successes to you.
This memoir is spectacular on family/drama,growing up in the GTA, and questioning the all the “why”s of life. Be prepared for lots of giggles, tears (have the tissues handy) and lessons (including football).
Your mom must be so proud of you! Pleasure to talk with you personally. I think your mom needs to write a memoir too! Sending much positivity and successes to you.
November 13, 2024
Morgan Campbell has a very dynamic family history. I feel grateful that I was able to read through his story and the dynamics in his experience. Learning about his grandmother, his father and family was intriguing. I think these stories are incredibly necessary. Overall, it was just a little boring and a little bit of a struggle to read through.
October 26, 2025
I picked this out because I wanted to read more about the Black Canadian culture and experience-- and this delivered, along with the interesting contrasts between Canadian and American Black cultures. I'm not a big sports fan so confess to skimming those sections. It's a well-weaved story of his family and life and a good read.
January 4, 2025
really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Morgan telling stories of his family and his own life experiences. the Black [midwestern] American roots and migration to Canada is really interesting.
October 5, 2025
Fascinating. I loved the deep dive into history and family genealogy. Heartbreaking but authentic. I love the throwback to 1990s GTA references.
May 6, 2025
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this book. Campbell tells his story of growing up black in Canada, but coming from an American background and not the Caribbean like many other black families in Canada. It was an entertaining read, hearing about his families relationships and adventures. He covers topics on football, music, health and Chicago family and ancestors. Having a huge family myself, I can relate to their always being someone at odds with each other. Or trying to get a story retold properly without exaggeration. This story is a must read if you are looking for a different pov of the Canadian life.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews