#TheCouchConversations
The Right to Be Here
Courtney B. Vance, Actor and Tony & Primetime Emmy Awardee, and Dr. Robin L. Smith, licensed psychologist, #1 bestselling author, media personality, and ordained minister, will spotlight black male mental health as part of National Mental Health Awareness Month. Their co-authored book, The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power, highlights the issues of black male mental health bringing to light a challenge in our community that few are sharing and yet many suffer through.
Join us for this intimate conversation about their book which is "a moving combination of memoir, psychology, and practical tools, [that] offers Black men guidance and support for reclaiming mental well-being and finding whole, full-hearted living."
Register in advance for this webinar.
The Right to Read
Juneteenth is a day of truth and liberation. It is a day that celebrates our right to not just be here, including our right to be fully educated. Yet, we are still struggling to attain our full rights. Join us as we discuss with Kareem Weaver, Co-Founder and Executive Director of FULCRUM and featured in the film The Right to Read…the civil rights issue of our day.
Register in advance for this webinar.
The Right to Our Beauty
Dance, particularly Ballet, is often seen as a space for others. According to the New York Times, for a Black woman to become a principal dancer at an American ballet company remains a rare feat. So, if ballet is an expression of beauty, our program will examine - who has the right to express it?
Celebrating Us: Unlocking the POWER of Black Philanthropy
The 2023 Charles Ogletree Public Forum Series was presented by the Union Chapel Education and Cultural Institute and Give Black Alliance was a proud sponsor of the annual gathering. This program highlighted the indomitable spirit of Black people whose time, talent, and treasure has shaped the well-being of our communities. It was an opportunity to connect with fellow community leaders and philanthropists who are changing systems in our communities, and to learn more about philanthropic instruments and trends to pay attention to in 2023 and beyond.
Speakers included:
Fireside Chat
Bithiah Carter (moderator), President & CEO | NEBiP
Jacob Pruitt, President | Fidelity Charitable
Ebony A. Thomas, President | Bank of America Foundation
Panelists
Makeeba McCreary, President | New Commonwealth Fund
Devin McCourty, Former NE Patriots Team Captain & Super Bowl Champion, Community Leader, Philanthropist
Ciciley Moore, Director | Office of the President, W. K. Kellogg Foundation
Raynya Simmons, Entrepreneur, Community Leader, Philanthropist
Goldie Taylor, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer | Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Author, Journalist
The Couch Conversations: Living Our Truth to Create Our Legacy
In recognition of motherhood and mental health during the entire month of May, we featured author, journalist, and human rights activist, Goldie Taylor, who discussed her book, The Love You Save, and shared her story of triumph and the transformative power of love that shaped her identity.
It was an insightful conversation on race, class, and gender from the perspective of a young girl with a troubled childhood in East St. Louis who grows up to be a strong, powerful black woman.
"My mother's mother thought that if you looked at anything long enough, good, bad, or otherwise, you could see God in it. And, I suppose, I always did believe that."
excerpt from The Love You Save
Goldie Taylor
The Couch Conversations: The Precarious State of Black Philanthropy
As we celebrated Black History Month, a fitting end to our month was discussing the future of Black Philanthropy.
In this virtual conversation with Emmett Carson and Beverly A. Grant, we explored the ingenuity of Black philanthropy and its legacy. We discussed the roots of Giving Black and how the formation of Black churches and mutual-aid societies provided the foundation for traditions that we still observe today.
