In August 2024, The Black Daddies Club (BDC) co-presented Sunday Brunch: A Decolonized Space for Black Therapists, Counselors, Healers, and Those Who Work with Black Folks. This event was a networking and knowledge-sharing initiative aimed at decolonizing therapeutic strategies for Black, Indigenous, and racialized therapists, counselors, and healers.
The hybrid event took place at Movember Canada’s head office in Toronto (Turtle Island) and brought together panellists from the United States, Canada, and South Africa. It was an opportunity for me to reconnect and collaborate with one of my newly found Ecoversities family members, Chef Noni, whom I met at the 2023 Ecoversities Gathering in South Africa. That gathering was deeply transformative for me, as it was my first Ecoversities experience on African soil. The event left a profound mark, leading me to reflect on healing for Black folks and the importance of remembering the stories, remedies, and wisdom of African Ancestors. It also brought up questions of belonging, especially for someone like me—an African born in Jamaica whose ancestral lineage was fractured by the horrors of slavery.
At the South African gathering, I had a conversation with Edgar, a brother from Brazil, whose words still resonate with me: “There are a lot of children from the African diaspora who want to return home but do not know where home is.” That statement struck me deeply and encapsulated the feelings of displacement and longing many of us in the diaspora experience. These conversations and connections were pivotal in my decision to co-create the Sunday Brunch event in Toronto in 2024.
However, the most impactful aspect of my experiences at both the 2023 Ecoversities Global Gathering in South Africa and the 2024 Ecoversities Global Gathering in Brazil was the opportunity to cook alongside Chef Noni and some of my Ecoversities chosen family. There was something uniquely healing about the act of cooking together—sharing stories, dancing, listening to music, and exchanging recipes. It was an experience that felt deeply cathartic, and I felt immense gratitude for Chef Noni’s presence and her agreement to be a panelist at the Sunday Brunch event in Toronto.
The Black Daddies Club (BDC) believes that the trauma experienced by Black people often manifests in ways that are unique to our communities. While talk therapy is an important tool, we also recognize that there are other innovative therapeutic practices from around the world that may have a more profound impact on people from the African diaspora. BDC is committed to creating spaces where we can explore these practices. On Sunday, August 11, 2024, BDC co-presented two hybrid events:
- Sunday Brunch: A Decolonized Space for Black Therapists, Counselors, Healers, and Those Who Work with Black Folks
This event was designed to be a networking and knowledge-sharing space for Black, Indigenous, and racialized therapists, counselors, and healers. The panelists, representing Canada, the United States, and South Africa, engaged in discussions about decolonizing therapeutic strategies and addressing the unique needs of Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities.The event also served as the launch of The Revelry Group, an Employment Assistance Program (EAP) that works specifically with Black, Racialized, and Indigenous counselors, therapists, and healers. This initiative is aimed at creating a network of Black and racialized mental health professionals.
- Sunday Dinners: Therapeutic Conversations for Black Men
Later in the afternoon, the Sunday Dinners series provided a space for Black men to come together and engage in therapeutic conversations. This gathering was focused on exploring issues of loneliness and connection. The question posed was, “As a Black man, do you feel alone? How do you navigate loneliness?”Sunday Dinners is a quarterly in-person series aimed at Black men from Canada and around the African diaspora. The intention of these gatherings is to foster open conversations where Black men can explore their shared experiences and differences. The space is open to all Black men, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation—cis-gendered, trans men, gay, bisexual, mixed-race, disabled, or non-binary Black men. The goal is to provide a supportive environment for Black men to share, learn, and heal together.
These events represented a critical moment of connection, healing, and knowledge sharing within the Black community, both locally and globally. I am incredibly grateful to have been part of such an important initiative, and I look forward to continuing this work of healing and decolonization in the future.
