This is a question I have been carrying into many of my conversations lately.
One response that has stayed with me is this:
“Community is the ability to show up fully as yourself with another person, while creating a space where they feel equally comfortable showing up fully as themselves. It is being present together in both our similarities and our differences.”
That reflection has remained with me as I continue to co-create spaces for Black men and Black fathers through the Black Daddies Club Sunday Dinners.
Our July 2026 gathering was a powerful reminder of what community can look and feel like. It was an evening rooted in openness, vulnerability, connection, and care. Watching Black men and Black fathers share their stories, listen deeply to one another, and build meaningful relationships reinforced why these spaces matter.
My sincere gratitude to everyone who attended and to our community partners for helping create an environment filled with intention, generosity, and belonging.
Community is not simply about gathering. It is about creating spaces where people can be fully seen, fully heard, and fully themselves.
Please note: This venue is currently not wheelchair accessible.
About the Event
Join Black Daddies Club for an evening of film, food, reflection, and meaningful conversation among Black fathers.
This unique gathering will bring together younger and older Black fathers for an intergenerational dialogue on fatherhood, identity, vulnerability, healing, mental health, and legacy. Through storytelling, guided activities, and collective reflection, participants will have the opportunity to learn from one another’s experiences while building deeper community connections.
Inspired by the Question Bridge: Black Males project, the evening will explore the questions we carry as fathers—both for our younger selves and for the fathers we are still becoming.
Event Schedule
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Welcome & Opening
Guest arrival and introductions
Corn soup provided by Soupalicious
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Film Screening
If I Go, Will They Miss Me?
This powerful film will serve as a catalyst for conversation and reflection on Black masculinity, fatherhood, mental health, vulnerability, healing, and community.
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Sunday Dinners Conversation
Facilitated by Andron McKoy (Afrika Outbound) and Brandon Hay (Black Daddies Club)
The evening dialogue will include:
Intergenerational conversation activities between younger and older Black fathers
Guided reflection questions
Council circle dialogue
Introduction to Worth Gallery by owner Adrian
Dinner will be provided by Diners Corner Restaurant. Vegan and Halal options available.
Who Will Be There?
Approximately 30 Black fathers will participate:
Younger Black Fathers
Expecting a child within the next year, or
Fathers who have recently begun their parenting journey
Older/OG Black Fathers
Fathers of older children
Men with lived experience navigating fatherhood across generations
Reflection Activity
Participants will be invited to bring:
One or two questions for their younger self about fatherhood
One or two questions for their future self about fatherhood
These questions will help spark conversations across generations and create opportunities for mentorship, learning, and connection.
By bringing different generations together, we hope to strengthen relationships, share wisdom, and foster a deeper sense of belonging among Black fathers.
As Father’s Day approaches, I recently revisited a conversation I had in 2018 with now CBC journalist Elamin Abdelmahmoud, who was a new father at the time.
Although this conversation took place several years ago, many of the discussions around Black fatherhood, identity, vulnerability, and raising Black sons still feel deeply relevant today.
In a time where many fathers continue navigating conversations around masculinity, safety, emotional wellness, and parenting, I was reminded how important these dialogues remain.
“What does it mean to be a Black dad of Black sons?”
Black Daddies Club presents: Sunday Dinners Therapeutic Conversations for Black Men & Fathers
Topic: Does interracial dating impact how Black men see themselves? Date: Sunday, May 31, 2026 Time: 6:00–7:30 PM Format: Virtual Cost: Free (registration required – link below)
Join us for an honest and reflective conversation exploring identity, dating preferences, and lived experiences. Together, we’ll unpack questions around perception, cultural pride, and raising biracial children.
Sunday Dinners is an inclusive space for all who identify as Black men; across identities and experiences, to connect, reflect, and share.
Black Daddies Club presents: Sunday Dinners – Therapeutic Conversations for Black Men and Black Fathers
Topic: Does interracial dating impact how Black men see themselves? Date: Sunday, May 31, 2026 Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Format: Virtual conversation Cost: Free (eventbrite registration required)- bio in link
Join us for a thoughtful and engaging virtual conversation exploring how interracial dating shapes identity, perception, and lived experience for Black men. This session will create space for honest reflection and dialogue, inviting participants to share perspectives and unpack complex questions, including:
Is there a difference in how Black men vs. Black women are perceived when dating outside their race?
Are Black men critically unpacking their dating preferences, or simply accepting them?
Can dating outside one’s race coexist with strong cultural pride and identity?
What does it mean to raise biracial children in terms of identity, culture, and belonging?
What have interracial relationships taught you about yourself?
Sunday Dinners Format Sunday Dinners is a series of therapeutic conversations designed for Black fathers and Black men. The space is inclusive of all who identify as Black men—across sexual orientations, gender identities (including trans men), and lived experiences, including those who are multiracial, biracial, or living with disabilities. If you identify as a Black man or Black father, you are welcome.
Background Launched in November 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunday Dinners began as a monthly virtual gathering to address isolation and create meaningful connection among Black men and fathers. Grounded in dialogical approaches inspired by Gestalt therapy and the cultural traditions of Black barbershop conversations, these sessions prioritize vulnerability, reflection, and authentic exchange.
Each session includes a large group discussion with cameras on to foster presence and accountability, as well as smaller breakout groups for deeper sharing. Conversations are centered around a specific topic, encouraging participants to connect their lived experiences to the theme. Sessions conclude with a brief feedback survey to help shape future conversations and ensure the space continues to meet the needs of the community.
Registration Registration is required to attend. Once registered, participants will receive the Zoom link and additional details prior to the session.
Explore the full lineup of conversations, plenaries, performances, and special moments designed to honor Black brilliance, deepen dialogue, and celebrate community.
What began in 2017 as a cross-border, intergenerational gathering rooted in Black LGBTQ2S+ communities has evolved into a multi-day symposium centered on dialogue, movement, and collective healing.
Now in its 4th annual gathering, JTBLS 2026 brings together artists, educators, clinicians, activists, elders, youth, and cultural workers to explore a vital question:
What does Black liberation look like across the many intersections of Black communities in Canada and beyond?
Highlights Include: * Grand Prize Documentary World Premiere – Feb 26 * Black Youth–Led Mental Health Conversations – Feb 27 * Panel: Aging, Blackness & Love – Feb 27 * Black Liberation Kiki Ball (In the Name of F.U.N.) (All Ages) – Feb 27 * Keynote: Black Liberation Is Non-Negotiable featuring Dr. Andrew Campbell & Dr. Siyabulela Mandela – Feb 28 * Ballroom Classes with Icon Arturo Miyake-Mugler, Icon Twiggy Pucci Garçon & Legendary Mother Jonovia Chase Lanvin – Feb 28 * The Journey to Black Liberation Ball – Feb 28 * Barbershop Conversation & Sunday Dinner Dialogue – March 1
Primary venues * George Brown College – Waterfront Campus * Evergreen Brick Works * PWA Hub * Onyx Barbershop * Ethiopian House
This is more than an event.
It is a gathering for truth-telling, celebration, and collective liberation.
Sunday Dinner: How Do We Love Now? A Conversation with Black Men Sunday, March 1, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
A therapeutic and inclusive space for Black men to connect, share lived experiences, and explore mental health while reflecting on love, relationships, and healing—for themselves and for future generations.
Location: Ethiopian House Restaurant, Toronto (Not Wheelchair Accessible) 4 Irwin Ave, Toronto
Barbershop Conversation: What Did I Learn From My Divorce? Sunday, March 1, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
A unisex community conversation hosted by The Black Daddies Club, exploring divorce, healing, and dating after loss. This gathering creates space for emotional processing, stress reduction, and community-based mental well-being.
Aging, Blackness & Love- Panel discussion Friday, February 27, 2026 | 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM George Brown College – Waterfront Campus
A multigenerational community panel exploring aging within Black heterosexual and Black LGBTQ2S+ communities through a mental health lens. This conversation will explore caregiving, menopause, dating after divorce, dementia, planning for death and estate planning, love, and emotional well-being across the lifespan.
Panelists from Toronto and New York will share lived experiences that center resilience, care, and connection while aging Black.
Panelists: Michael Roberson Samantha Montpetit-Huynh Ngozi Iroanyah Bee Quammie Minnelle Williams Vidoll Regisford Jade Elektra
Moderators: Tasha Thomas Melizia MensahPart of the Journey to Black Liberation Symposium 2026. Registration now open. Link for tickets JTBL 2026 | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
