About
We will explore the unique mental health challenges and triumphs faced by individuals navigating the intersection of multiracial identities and Blackness. For those who embody multiple racial and cultural heritages, the journey of belonging, both within the Black community and broader society, can be complex and isolating. This session will provide a platform for candid conversations about the psychological impact of straddling multiple worlds, the internal and external struggles around racial identity, and how mental wellness intersects with the lived experience of multiracial Black individuals.
By cultivating self-acceptance, building community and addressing mental health disparities, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the importance of creating inclusive spaces for multiracial Black individuals, fostering resilience and prioritizing mental wellness in the face of layered racial identities.
Panellists will include music artist Matthew Progress, comedian Aisha Alfa, Ontario Tech University professor Dr. Wesley Critchlow and Daniel Hidalgo B.S.W, Founder of CommUNITY204. Moderated by University of Manitoba professor Dr. Warren Clarke.
Presented by The Black Daddies Club in partnership with Harbourfront Centre.
KUUMBA30 is presented by TD Bank Group through the Bank’s Corporate Citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment.
Organized by the Black Daddies Club (BDC) and the Toronto Kiki Ball Alliance (TKBA). Collaborating with Ultra-red and C-RRED (Center for Race, Religion and Economic Democracy) and in partnership with Harbourfront Centre.
The Journey to Black Liberation Symposium
This symposium will engage with themes, discourses and strategies centred around the Black struggle for justice and liberation. This year’s theme, “Finding Home in Our Bodies,” will facilitate a transnational dialogue about what liberation means within the Black community by connecting with Black communities across North and South America and the African Diaspora. We aim to foster learning and collaboration that advance the Black liberation movement.
About The Black Daddies Club
At 24, Brandon Hay, founder of The Black Daddies Club (BDC), discovered he was about to become a dad for the first time. Being raised by a single mother and without the presence of a consistent father figure, he was filled with anxiety and fear about his ability to be a great father. Knowing of other men in his situation, he believed that a forum where they could share ideas, struggles and victories would be an effective network for support. Thus, in 2007, Hay founded BDC in response to the isolation he felt as a new Black father as well as to the lack of forums and spaces for Black men to discuss parenting issues and concerns facing the Black community as a whole. The organization’s main goals are to change the image of the “absent Black father” prevalent in the media and to assist young Black men in becoming better fathers. In so doing, BDC aims to support Black children, families and the larger community.
About Aisha Alfa
Born in Nigeria, raised in Canada and now living in Los Angeles, Aisha Alfa is a comedian, actor, writer, director, host and mom. Alfa has performed comedy all over the world including the Just For Laughs Festival, the Montreux Comedy Festival and Cape Town Comedy Club. Some of Alfa’s acting credits include the dark comedy thriller Based On A True Story, Good Trouble, Sorry For Your Loss, Degrassi: The Next Generation & The Next Class and The Beaverton. Alfa was a Bob Curry Fellow at Second City, an NBC Stand Up Finalist, nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award and a past winner of Winnipeg’s Funniest Person with a Day Job from Rumor’s Comedy Club. Aisha’s debut comedy album All The Parts was featured in Ebony Magazine and on All Things Comedy. Alfa also produced the YouTube interview series Plus One about motherhood, pregnancy and fertility, and co-hosts the comedy/personal development podcast A Work In Progress available on all podcast platforms.
KUUMBA30 presented by
