Black Visionary Futures: Weaving Systems of Care and Solidarity
YOU DESERVE TO BE WELL!
YOU DESERVE TO BE WELL!
🌱Join us for "Black Visionary Futures: Weaving Systems of Care and Solidarity," an event series dedicated to creating transformative change through community-driven action and collaboration. On Thursday, December 5th, and Friday, December 6th, The Black Healing Centre will collaborate with the Shift Centre for Social Transformation to welcome Yolo Akili Robinson to Montreal. We will come together to explore innovative approaches to building supportive networks for Black students, wellness practitioners, and change-makers. Through shared learning and connection, we’ll focus on reimagining justice, fostering solidarity, and cultivating a culture of care that strengthens our movements and unites our communities. This series aims to inspire participants to lead with intention, build sustainable movements, and create systems that truly support the well-being and empowerment of Black individuals. 🌱
WHERE: Day 1 will be held at SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation, Day 2 will be held at Never Was Average.
WHEN: Thursday, December 5th and Friday, December 6th, 2024.
COST: Both events are free of cost and registration is required for each separate day. Spots are limited.
ACCESSIBILITY: SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation is an accessible venue on the first floor of the J.W. McConnell Building (LB-145), near Concordia’s 4TH SPACE and the R. Howard Webster Library. Never Was Average is a 5-minute walk away from Jean Talon metro station.
IMPORTANT DETAILS:
Day 2 of the series is open to Black Healers and Change-makers.
Registration is necessary for each event day for all participants (limited capacity is available).
Negative COVID-19 test prior to attending is strongly recommended. The pandemic is still impacting our communities so please be mindful when entering our space.
Yolo Akili Robinson
Yolo Akili Robinson
Meet the Guest Speaker:
Yolo Akili Robinson is a non binary award-winning writer, healing justice worker, yogi, and the founder and Executive Director of BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective). BEAM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit national organization that builds ecosystems of care for Black and marginalized communities. BEAM funds, resources, and trains a network of Black therapists, wellness practitioners, and Black mental health organizations to provide wellness care to our most exploited and under-resourced communities. Under Yolo's leadership, BEAM became one of the leading Black orgs that funds mental health in Black communities, the organization has been given support from foundations and celebrities including the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, celebrities Jordan Peele, Kelly Rowland, Chloe x Halle, Debbie Allen and many more. For his work Yolo has received numerous accolades including being recognized by the Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy for Minority Mental Health Month 2023. He has been an invited presenter at the National Academy of Sciences, Math and Engineering, The Milken Institute, The Congressional Black Caucus Conference and much more. He has been awarded the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation "Health Equity Award" for his work and featured at the BET Awards as an "Empowerful Spotlight", highlighting his work facilitating the vision of BEAM.Notably, his writings and work have appeared on Shondaland, GQ, Women's Health, USA Today, Vice, BET, Ebony, and Everyday Feminisms. He is the author of the social justice themed affirmation book, "Dear Universe: Letters of Affirmation & Empowerment for All of Us" (Michael Todd Books, 2016) and a contributor to the New York Times Best Seller, Tarana Burke and Dr. Brené Brown's anthology on Black vulnerability and shame resilience, "You are Your Best Thing" (2021, Random House Books). He lives in Los Angeles, California.
PROGRAMMING
PROGRAMMING
DAY 1 - DECEMBER 5TH
12 pm - 2 pmLocation: SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation (1400 Blvd. De Maisonneuve Ouest LB 145, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8)This event is open to everyone.
Objectives for this session include:Sharing inspirational stories about social transformation to motivate the SHIFT community.Highlighting community-scale actions with systems-level impact to demonstrate what’s possible through collective effort.
DAY 2 - DECEMBER 6TH
5 pm - 7 pmLocation: Never Was Average (7422 Rue St-Hubert, Montréal, QC H2R 2N3)This event is a space for Black Change-Makers.
Some of the themes that will be explored include:Lessons learned from the movement: Reflecting on what has worked, what hasn’t, and what we can do differently.Exploring how to build alongside each other rather than competing for resources and funding.Addressing the challenges of working in isolation and the importance of collaboration and mutual support in sustaining our missions.Building faith in our collective ability to create and work together towards a shared vision of community wellness and healing.