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Butterflies in the Trenches: The Hood, an Epic Bike Ride, and Finding Inspiration
A vital memoir from one of Canada’s most courageous athletes and anti-racism activists, Butterflies in the Trenches is a riveting look at Toronto public housing, the drug trade for a childhood dealer, and the journey of a young Black man seeking redemption through sports and STEM education.
“Society gave us a script to follow based on our postal code and skin colour, but we ripped that stuff up and made a script of our own.”
Curtis Carmichael is an award-winning STEM educator, Team Canada Duathlete, and the founder of Ride for Promise. He was three-quarters of the way through his cross-Canada charity bike ride when the realization struck him: he wanted to help the teens coming up in the hood now... but first, he needed to help himself.
Butterflies in the Trenches is the candid story of Curtis' life in the public housing projects in Scarborough, Ontario, where he grew up surrounded by trap houses, attending underfunded schools, and avoiding drive-by shootings. He shares raw and intimate stories from his childhood as a drug dealer and hustler and explores the effects of poverty, systemic racism, and police brutality on Black and low-income communities.
Curtis writes with powerful honesty and precision about life in the hood, mental health challenges, and the education he received from the dealers, rappers, hood philosophers, inmates, self-taught entrepreneurs, and OG’s who shared the street corner with him. The eye-opening stories in Butterflies in the Trenches are both an education for teens ready to support themselves and their communities, and an incredible story of a young man who breaks the cycle of poverty. Illustrated with more than 100 photographs and brought to life with an augmented reality mobile app, podcasts, and videos, Butterflies in the Trenches is an inspiring testimony to the resilience, willpower, and purpose of a young Black man with a deep love for a community that refuses to give up.
Foreword By Michael "Pinball" Clemons
Only available on: curtiscarmichael(dot)ca
“Society gave us a script to follow based on our postal code and skin colour, but we ripped that stuff up and made a script of our own.”
Curtis Carmichael is an award-winning STEM educator, Team Canada Duathlete, and the founder of Ride for Promise. He was three-quarters of the way through his cross-Canada charity bike ride when the realization struck him: he wanted to help the teens coming up in the hood now... but first, he needed to help himself.
Butterflies in the Trenches is the candid story of Curtis' life in the public housing projects in Scarborough, Ontario, where he grew up surrounded by trap houses, attending underfunded schools, and avoiding drive-by shootings. He shares raw and intimate stories from his childhood as a drug dealer and hustler and explores the effects of poverty, systemic racism, and police brutality on Black and low-income communities.
Curtis writes with powerful honesty and precision about life in the hood, mental health challenges, and the education he received from the dealers, rappers, hood philosophers, inmates, self-taught entrepreneurs, and OG’s who shared the street corner with him. The eye-opening stories in Butterflies in the Trenches are both an education for teens ready to support themselves and their communities, and an incredible story of a young man who breaks the cycle of poverty. Illustrated with more than 100 photographs and brought to life with an augmented reality mobile app, podcasts, and videos, Butterflies in the Trenches is an inspiring testimony to the resilience, willpower, and purpose of a young Black man with a deep love for a community that refuses to give up.
Foreword By Michael "Pinball" Clemons
Only available on: curtiscarmichael(dot)ca
- GenresNonfiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2021
3 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Curtis Carmichael
1 book15 followersCurtis Carmichael is a Canadian author, keynote speaker, and a Team Canada Duathlete. His debut memoir Butterflies in the Trenches is the World’s First Augmented Reality memoir with a foreword by Canadian Football Hall of Famer Michael "Pinball" Clemons.
Curtis is an award-winning social entrepreneur, STEM and hip-hop teacher, computer programmer, and the former Director of a Code Ninjas franchise. His cross-Canada cycling tour Ride for Promise raised funds for Toronto Community Housing afterschool programs and was featured in an award-winning documentary. Curtis has been published in CBC National News, Global News, City News, The Tyee, USPORTS, and TEDx and, in his spare time, he is a Team Canada Duathlete for the 2021 Multisport World Championships. Curtis grew up in Scarborough, Ontario and has dedicated his life to advocating for Black and racialized youth in low-income communities in the City of Toronto and across Canada.
Curtis holds a Bachelor’s in Physical and Health Education from Queen’s University and a BEd in STEM education from Ontario Tech University. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including USPORTS National Russ Jackson, Herbert H. Carnegie National Citizenship, City of Toronto Spirit of Sport Diversity and Inclusion and the City of Toronto Hall of Honour inductee—winning awards alongside NBA star RJ Barrett, five-time Candian heavyweight champion George Chuvalo, and Canadian Olympians Kylie Masse, Greg Westlake, and Stephanie Dixon. As a self taught computer programmer, Curtis built his own mobile app that brings his memoir to life by giving readers access to hidden content which can be activated by holding your phone over photos throughout the book. He is the author and mobile app developer for the World's First Augmented Reality Memoir Butterflies in the Trenches. Curtis is from and lives in Scarborough.
Curtis is an award-winning social entrepreneur, STEM and hip-hop teacher, computer programmer, and the former Director of a Code Ninjas franchise. His cross-Canada cycling tour Ride for Promise raised funds for Toronto Community Housing afterschool programs and was featured in an award-winning documentary. Curtis has been published in CBC National News, Global News, City News, The Tyee, USPORTS, and TEDx and, in his spare time, he is a Team Canada Duathlete for the 2021 Multisport World Championships. Curtis grew up in Scarborough, Ontario and has dedicated his life to advocating for Black and racialized youth in low-income communities in the City of Toronto and across Canada.
Curtis holds a Bachelor’s in Physical and Health Education from Queen’s University and a BEd in STEM education from Ontario Tech University. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including USPORTS National Russ Jackson, Herbert H. Carnegie National Citizenship, City of Toronto Spirit of Sport Diversity and Inclusion and the City of Toronto Hall of Honour inductee—winning awards alongside NBA star RJ Barrett, five-time Candian heavyweight champion George Chuvalo, and Canadian Olympians Kylie Masse, Greg Westlake, and Stephanie Dixon. As a self taught computer programmer, Curtis built his own mobile app that brings his memoir to life by giving readers access to hidden content which can be activated by holding your phone over photos throughout the book. He is the author and mobile app developer for the World's First Augmented Reality Memoir Butterflies in the Trenches. Curtis is from and lives in Scarborough.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 5, 2022
I want to read this book again, even though I've just finished it. There was so much in this text that I would like to take in again more thoughtfully; I will definitely be reading it again later to tag and mark points that I would like to remember and come back to in the future. It was eye-opening to read Butterflies in the Trenches: The Hood, an Epic Bike Ride, and Finding Inspiration, and as an educator who is teaching in Scarborough currently, I think there is a lot that I need to unpack from this text to drive further learning and inspire my teaching practice going forward. Curtis Carmichael does a riveting job of sharing pieces of life and of his Ride for Promise to provide insight and inspiration for the youth of the future. Not only this, but he shares the stories and names of several other impactful and outstanding individuals who have inspired him as well. All of this fantastic content and writing, and there are beautifully shot photographs (that you can interact with via augmented reality!) within the book as well!
January 6, 2022
Curtis Carmichael shares an important and often overlooked perspective on life in our city, and limitless potential of young people in some of our more challenged communities. His love for the hood comes through on every page.
January 28, 2022
2021 Best Indie Book Award Winner!
August 22, 2022
If we are ethnically white, as I am, then this story may come as a challenge to our stereotypes. For a white man such as myself, it is a hard book to read.
Curtis was raised in the hood¸ as he calls it. An area of substandard housing in Scarboro, Toronto. The injustices he describes that defined his neighbourhood include underfunded public schools, denial of funds for mental health and addiction services, affordable housing and a host of other services that were common in more upscale and white areas of Toronto. He grew up taught by the streets while labelled by the police and school system as black and thus guilty of whatever without evidence.
In spite of what society failed to give him, he developed an amazing entrepreneurial ability and a commitment to excel, which he did gaining scholarships, acing university and then embarking on a cross-Canada bicycle tour to raise money for the hood. In the book he alternates the story of this cross-Canada marathon with comments about his hood, his upbringing and the people who have inspired his spirit. It is a story to inspire young black entrepreneurs. Cutis is to be admired. It is a necessary book.
And yet part of the context is missing, in my obviously biased opinion. The book set me thinking back about my own upbringing. I grew up in a Toronto suburb of single-family homes and went to almost exclusively white schools until University. Being born in the dirty thirties and growing up during World War II and its aftermath, race was not something I had to deal with. My demons were the bullies at school and the jocks whose prowess in sports I couldn’t achieve.
Immigrants were few and far between until after the war when we had an influx of what were called “DP’s,” mainly from Europe. The main racial tension was provided by the French and English controversy. We dimly perceived the injustices perpetrated on our indigenous population. As a youngster, I wasn’t even aware of the fracture of India into two parts in 1947 which left a million dead. As I grew through the teen years, life seemed fairly tough. I had to deliver papers or do manual labour on my dad’s job site to earn pocket money. We never thought of it as tough—just life.
But in the last few years, I have become more and more aware that as a white male, I am viewed by many as the inheritor of a mantle of white supremacy and male chauvinism. This mantle irks. Personally, I don’t accept the mantle. I am who I am as an individual not as the forced inheritor of the perceived evils of my ancestors or my culture. So reading a book by a young black man from Regent Park in Toronto was not overly welcome even though I know Curtis and appreciate him. And yet, to understand people—which must be our human, let alone Christian goal—is a necessity.
I must say, like reading books by Ayaan Hirsi Ali or Lemmon’s The DressMaker of Khair Khana this book also opened my eyes to another perspective, a perspective I could not have gained except through the eyes of someone like Curtis Carmichael.
The book is a must read for those of us who are called white. It is written in a punchy, colloquial and very interesting style.
Curtis was raised in the hood¸ as he calls it. An area of substandard housing in Scarboro, Toronto. The injustices he describes that defined his neighbourhood include underfunded public schools, denial of funds for mental health and addiction services, affordable housing and a host of other services that were common in more upscale and white areas of Toronto. He grew up taught by the streets while labelled by the police and school system as black and thus guilty of whatever without evidence.
In spite of what society failed to give him, he developed an amazing entrepreneurial ability and a commitment to excel, which he did gaining scholarships, acing university and then embarking on a cross-Canada bicycle tour to raise money for the hood. In the book he alternates the story of this cross-Canada marathon with comments about his hood, his upbringing and the people who have inspired his spirit. It is a story to inspire young black entrepreneurs. Cutis is to be admired. It is a necessary book.
And yet part of the context is missing, in my obviously biased opinion. The book set me thinking back about my own upbringing. I grew up in a Toronto suburb of single-family homes and went to almost exclusively white schools until University. Being born in the dirty thirties and growing up during World War II and its aftermath, race was not something I had to deal with. My demons were the bullies at school and the jocks whose prowess in sports I couldn’t achieve.
Immigrants were few and far between until after the war when we had an influx of what were called “DP’s,” mainly from Europe. The main racial tension was provided by the French and English controversy. We dimly perceived the injustices perpetrated on our indigenous population. As a youngster, I wasn’t even aware of the fracture of India into two parts in 1947 which left a million dead. As I grew through the teen years, life seemed fairly tough. I had to deliver papers or do manual labour on my dad’s job site to earn pocket money. We never thought of it as tough—just life.
But in the last few years, I have become more and more aware that as a white male, I am viewed by many as the inheritor of a mantle of white supremacy and male chauvinism. This mantle irks. Personally, I don’t accept the mantle. I am who I am as an individual not as the forced inheritor of the perceived evils of my ancestors or my culture. So reading a book by a young black man from Regent Park in Toronto was not overly welcome even though I know Curtis and appreciate him. And yet, to understand people—which must be our human, let alone Christian goal—is a necessity.
I must say, like reading books by Ayaan Hirsi Ali or Lemmon’s The DressMaker of Khair Khana this book also opened my eyes to another perspective, a perspective I could not have gained except through the eyes of someone like Curtis Carmichael.
The book is a must read for those of us who are called white. It is written in a punchy, colloquial and very interesting style.
March 3, 2022
I really did love this book, Curtis Carmichael is my hero. From seeing all the hardship around him in Scarborough, to writing about the tragedies and actually being vulnerable enough to share about his family and his journey - he is incredible.
I loved the fact that everywhere around him he was never afraid to learn from what was happening around him. From listening to the OG’s in his neighbourhood and his friend Dr Dre in prison giving him many many book suggestions. He was humble enough to listen to everyone who had wisdom to give. Smart move.
Watching him cross the whole country on his bike through the pages of the book was so inspirational. Yet the stories were so painful to look at because you see all he (and many other black individuals like him) have had to go through in their lives. Many still are left behind in Scarborough in a shitty racist school system.
I am a teacher and am well aware of many of the books he mentions and I try to get these books into the hands of my black students and non-black students so that they get a different kind of education. I am trying to encourage each of them daily.
I loved that he pointed out that the black community have not gotten a good financial education either - and this is holding them back. I feel that many women are in the same boat there. Many POC have been left behind in financial education and many new immigrants are just trying to keep their heads above water in many ways.
Every Canadian should read this book. Period.
I loved the fact that everywhere around him he was never afraid to learn from what was happening around him. From listening to the OG’s in his neighbourhood and his friend Dr Dre in prison giving him many many book suggestions. He was humble enough to listen to everyone who had wisdom to give. Smart move.
Watching him cross the whole country on his bike through the pages of the book was so inspirational. Yet the stories were so painful to look at because you see all he (and many other black individuals like him) have had to go through in their lives. Many still are left behind in Scarborough in a shitty racist school system.
I am a teacher and am well aware of many of the books he mentions and I try to get these books into the hands of my black students and non-black students so that they get a different kind of education. I am trying to encourage each of them daily.
I loved that he pointed out that the black community have not gotten a good financial education either - and this is holding them back. I feel that many women are in the same boat there. Many POC have been left behind in financial education and many new immigrants are just trying to keep their heads above water in many ways.
Every Canadian should read this book. Period.
November 17, 2021
I took my time reading the words within these pages. I wanted the information to sink in. I wanted to reflect on my beliefs and biases around the community Curtis speaks of and how they came to be.
I am saddened that I was taught nothing but negativity around this community. I am saddened I didn't know to take my learning it into my own hands, but rather I chose to be complicit. It wasn't until I was older that I started to question what I was hearing. And now, I'm questioning even more.
I am appreciative of Curtis and his courage to share his story/experiences. I admire Curtis’s determination to show up for his neighbourhood, to flip the script and to show the world that it's a place of innovation, culture, beauty, community, connection, problem-solving, hard work etc.
Curtis writes in a clear, realistic, down-to-earth way that makes reading and learning from his words easy. Now it's up to me, and his fellow readers, to reflect, unlearn, and take action to continue creating waves of change.
I am saddened that I was taught nothing but negativity around this community. I am saddened I didn't know to take my learning it into my own hands, but rather I chose to be complicit. It wasn't until I was older that I started to question what I was hearing. And now, I'm questioning even more.
I am appreciative of Curtis and his courage to share his story/experiences. I admire Curtis’s determination to show up for his neighbourhood, to flip the script and to show the world that it's a place of innovation, culture, beauty, community, connection, problem-solving, hard work etc.
Curtis writes in a clear, realistic, down-to-earth way that makes reading and learning from his words easy. Now it's up to me, and his fellow readers, to reflect, unlearn, and take action to continue creating waves of change.
January 16, 2022
Real and honest, Curtis’s memoire shares the hard truths and realities faced by many about growing up in Scarborough, Ontario. Curtis’s story and outcomes aren’t necessarily the rule for those who grow up in there but demonstrates the power of entrepreneurial mindset, self-education and skill sharing, and ultimately the resiliency required to navigate a system and society that fails to address the unique needs of underrepresented and underserved groups in Canada.
A powerful and inspiring read for me, a must-read for others, and the type of stories we need to hear more of.
A powerful and inspiring read for me, a must-read for others, and the type of stories we need to hear more of.
May 18, 2022
A must read, powerful and beautifully written, Curtis brings us into his world by telling us his story growing up in Scarborough. Heart wrenching and heart warming as he speaks his truth and brings us a glimpse of his world. Thank you for this Curtis.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews