Black Daddies Club is excited to relaunch the Sunday Dinners initiative in 2023, collaborating with Talk It Out Counselling (TIOC) Clinic, White Ribbon, and Asante Talks. The premise of Sunday Dinners, is to co-create an intentional space for Black men to speak to other Black men about issues that impact our mental health as Black men. Previously, Sunday Dinners took place monthly during COVID-19 and were held virtually on Zoom online platform. This year will be the first time that Sunday Dinners, will be offered in-person, and they will take place quarterly (every 3-months). We are looking forward to breaking bread and building with you.
A Day of Conversation About Black Masculinity and Mental Health is a 3-part, day-long event being held at Verity Centre for Better Living (449 Vaughan Rd), focused on understanding the unique mental health needs of Black men in Toronto. The day-long event is a collaboration between Black Daddies Club and its Sunday Dinner series, Talk It Out Counselling (TIOC) Clinic, White Ribbon, and Asante Talks, combining inspirational keynote, panel discussion, and a meal and dialogue session.
Part 1: 11AM -12 PM – Keynote presentation, ‘Thank God, I Am Free’, by Asante Haughton of Asante Talks. Attendance is open to all genders, (no registration required). — Part 2: 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM – Panel discussion, Setting the Stage on Black Men and Mental Health with guests Brandon Hay (Black Daddies Club), Adjei Scott (White Ribbon), and Asante Haughton (Asante Talks). Attendance is open to all genders, (no registration required). —- Part 3: 1:30PM – 4:30PM – Sunday Dinner, meal and dialogue space for Black men co-organized by Black Daddies Club, TIOC Clinic, and White Ribbon. (Black men only, Registration needed)
The Black Daddies Club Founder, Brandon Hay was featured on TVO The Agenda yesterday about the Talk with our Black Children about Anti-Black Racism.
For generations, Black parents have ‘the talk’ with their kids – a conversation about the risks associated with being Black in this society. What’s important when it comes to introducing children to systemic racism and everyday aggression? How has this evolved overtime? And do all parents share this kind of responsibility?
The Black Daddies Club is excited to announce that BDC founder, Brandon Hay will be featured on TV Ontario (TVO), The Agenda with Steve Paikin. The episode will feature a panel talking about the “How do parents talk to their children about Anti-Black Racism?” The Agenda with Steve Paikin is TVO’s flagship current affairs program – devoted to exploring the social, political, cultural and economic issues that are changing our world, at home and abroad. The Agenda airs weeknights at 8:00 PM EST on TVO – Canada’s largest educational broadcaster.
The episode will air on Tuesday, February 7th 2023 at 8pm (est.)
If you don’t live in Canada, You can now watch the program live on Twitter, Facebook and on their YouTube channel at 8:00 p.m. Each evening’s program should already be available as a downloadable video and audio podcast on iTunes by about 9 p.m. on the evening of the broadcast. TVO’s website and YouTube channel will also have the program available to stream by air time and can always be viewed on their website afterwards.
The Black Daddies Club will be celebrating our 16th year anniversary this year in November 2023 and we are excited to announce our programs for the 2023 calendar year. Please take some time to take a look and mark your calendars for any of the following initiatives that you are interested in attending or supporting.
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and Black Daddies Club Family Day event–February 2023 – Family Day
Photographs act as a capsule of moment in time – some of these moments, shared between friends and families. Reflecting on this concept, as well as themes explored in the exhibition, You Look Beautiful Like That: Studio Photography in West and Central Africa, this Family Day weekend, we will be creating a pop-up photo studio in the AGO’s Robert Harding Pathway on the Concourse level.
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), has collaborated with the Black Daddies Club (BDC), for Family Day 2023 to co-create a beautiful two-day event to support with Black and Racialized families to co-create, capture and keep positive memories of their families on Sunday February 19th, 2023 and Monday, February 20th, 2023.
We have invited two Toronto lens-based artists to photograph participants in front of vibrant patterned backdrops inspired by some of the stylistic elements introduced by photographers such as, Malick Sidibé, Seydou Keïta, and Samuel Fosso. Members from the Black Daddies Club, and the general public will be able to take home their Polaroid keepsake – so get ready to strike a pose with your friends and loved ones! Numbers are limited. Pre-registration is required.
Sunday Dinners: Conversations for Black Men– March 2023- (Quarterly event)
The Black Daddies Club co- presents Sunday Dinners, will be a quarterly in-person conversation series with Black men from Canada. The Black men who attend Sunday Dinners will represent various entry points into Blackness and masculinities, and we will speak about our hope as Black men and about where we are currently both emotionally and mentally.
During the COVID-19 pandemic (November 2020- March 2022) Sunday Dinners was an online conversation series that was held once a month on Sundays, from 5pm to 8pm (eastern time) and took place on the zoom platform.
In 2023, the Black Daddies Club will be transitioning the Sunday Dinners discussion series for Black men to in-person venues across Toronto, this discussion series will take place every three months.
The idea behind this discussion series is the intersections of food, conversations, and healing amongst Black men. The importance of gathering as Black people for Sunday Dinners resonates with many African and Black people from across the diaspora. The purpose of the Sunday Dinner gatherings is for Black men to have conversations with other Black men from various entry points to explore our similarities and differences as Black men. This conversation series is for Black men who identify as cis-gendered, heterosexual, trans-men, gay, bi-sexual, mixed race, living with a disability or non-binary Black men; as long as you identify as a Black man the Sunday Dinner space is for you.
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Black Families and Friends Summer Hikes– June to August 2023
Black Daddies Club presents Black Families and Friends Summer hikes will be returning in 2023. The purpose of these Summer hikes are for Black and Racialized families as well as allies to gather at a green space in Toronto on Sunday morning’s to take part in a group hike starting at 10AM, the series will also include activities for the family. Aligning with Black Daddies Club philosophy around spending time as a family in nature can promote well-being for the entire family, the Black Families and Friends Summer hikes is also about the importance of Black families taking up/ reclaiming green spaces unapologetically in Ontario.
These hikes will take place monthly starting June 2023 until August 2023, the venue of the hikes will be announced later in the year
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The Black Families Un-Conference– October and November 2023
The Black Daddies Clubco-presents The Black Families Un-Conference is a three-day gathering for families who identify as Black or Racialized to take part in a camping experience for the entire family that will take place in one of Tim Hortons Camps in Ontario, at no cost to the families that attend.
The idea behind the Black Families Un-Conference is to create positive memories and experiences for these families (parents or guardians and their children) as a whole in a safe environment that they may not be able to afford. The Black Daddies Club (BDC) over the 16 years of operating in the Greater Toronto Area, has created programs which promote creating positive memorable memories within green spaces for Black families and their allies.
This initiative is a collaboration between Justice Fund, Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), Tim Hortons Camp and The Black Daddies Club (BDC). The dates and location of the Black Families Un-Conference will be at a Tim Hortons Camp in Ontario which will be announced at a later date.
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Finding a Partner after 40: A Conversations amongst Black Folks– November 2023
BDC 16th year anniversary event
Black Daddies Club will be celebrating our 16th year anniversary with a panel discussion entitled “Finding a Partner after 40: A Conversation amongst Black Folks”, this event will be engaging Black men from North America on their experiences around dating in hetero sexual or Queer communities. The event will also engage Black therapists that will speak about the macro challenges and opportunities for Black folks looking for love or partnership after the age of 40.
The date and location for this event will be announced later this year.
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For more information about any of these events or sponsorship opportunities with any of these initiatives, please contact us at info@theblackdaddiesclub.com
The Black Daddies Club is excited to collaborate with the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) for our first initiative for the 2023 calendar, which will take place over two days over the Family Day 2023 weekend. Please read more below and register your family while space are still available.
Photographs act as a capsule of moment in time – some of these moments, shared between friends and families. Reflecting on this concept, as well as themes explored in the exhibition, You Look Beautiful Like That: Studio Photography in West and Central Africa, this Family Day weekend, we will be creating a pop-up photo studio in the AGO’s Robert Harding Pathway on the Concourse level.
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), has collaborated with the Black Daddies Club (BDC), for Family Day 2023 to co-create a beautiful two-day event to support with Black and Racialized families to co-create, capture and keep positive memories of their families on Sunday February 19th, 2023 and Monday, February 20th, 2023.
We have invited two Toronto lens-based artists to photograph participants in front of vibrant patterned backdrops inspired by some of the stylistic elements introduced by photographers such as, Malick Sidibé, Seydou Keïta, and Samuel Fosso. Members from the Black Daddies Club, and the general public will be able to take home their Polaroid keepsake – so get ready to strike a pose with your friends and loved ones! Numbers are limited. Pre-registration is required
At Black Daddies Club, we are seeing a devastating trend of families not planning for the unexpected, and to be honest, we know we are all going to die one day, so why isnt some of us putting more emphasis into the planning of our transition into the next realm. Why do we feel it is acceptable to go to Go-Fund me or other crowd sourcing platforms to raise money for a funeral. The aim here is not to judge folks, who can not afford a funeral as they are expensive, the aim here rather is to start having a plan for death and other situations so that our loved ones are not left with the baggage of financial responsibilities as well as the grieving of their loved ones.
Life Insurance is a financial tool that helps protect what we have, the wealth we are going to build and our family’s financial future. We will discuss the different types and their purposes and how we can use it to build wealth, reduce our chances of going into debt and leave a financial legacy to our families. We will debunk the many myths surrounding insurance.
Black Daddies Club, had to share this really great opportunity, especially when it is two of BDC’s community partners who do great work, that collaborate together to a great workshop series, read more info below
Gain control of your money habits! Learning how to better manage your money will set you up for financial success. Register for this workshop to receive practical insight into financial fundamentals!
Participants who are 18-30 year old that register, attend full session with their cameras on, and provide feedback through our survey will receive an honorarium ($30 value)
Employment opportunities for Black and Racialized youth with Toronto CN Tower
Black Daddies Club is excited in sharing this great opportunity for Black and Racialized youth that is being delivered through one of our community partners Prince’s Trust Canada (PTC).
PTC has a program in partnership with the CN Tower happening next week. It’s an opportunity for youth to get full/part-time and seasonal employment. It’s a 3-day in person program that takes place at Yonge Street Mission and the CN Tower.
The program will run in-person from November 1-3, 2022. Participants must be prepared to take part in skills-building workshops as well as a tour and hiring fair at the CN Tower (290 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, Ontario).
PTC will be at YSM Martin Centre (306 Gerrard St E) on November 1 and 2 and at the CN Tower (290 Bremner Boulevard) on November 3.
Participants must be 18-30 years old and live in the Greater Toronto area. Transportation, lunch and snacks will be provided on all three days of the program as well as additional provisions and supports as required.
Boys Will Be…Themselves. The 44-minute film is a documentary about the way parents, teachers, coaches, peers, and media are raising the men of the 21st Century. The Documentary represents a wide-ranging array of experiences, to paint a nuanced portrait of how our understanding of masculinity is shifting and changing across Canada. The documentary asks some poignant questions, such as, How have the expectations around masculinity changed in our lifetime already, and where do we go from here?
Brandon Hay, founder of Black Daddies Club was interviewed at the iconic Onyx Barbershop in Toronto, to give his thoughts around Black masculinities and the work Black Daddies Club has been doing over the past 15 years to create spaces for various entry points into Black masculinities.
Boys Will Be…Themselves will be available to stream for free on CBC Gem as of October 7th, 2022 (TOMORROW!) You can follow @boyswillbethemselves on Instagram to keep up with news about the doc.
Black Daddies Club founder, Brandon Hay, recently was interviewed by Mediate 393 Blog. Mediate393 provides government-funded family mediation and information services in Toronto’s Superior Court of Justice.
The interview was for their October 2022 blog which you can read at the link.
