The experiences of Young Black women can be characterized by the influences of multiple power disparities that include race, gender, age, and social status. All course content is presented through an intersectional lens that considers the interplay of disparate forces in the lives of young Black women.
Participants in the Young Black Women's Project will explore a range of topics over the course of a series of monthly workshops. Themes include:
Health & Wellness
A holistic approach to health and wellness will provide participants with tools to help facilitate optimal health and well-being.
Participants will learn to craft and deliver persuasive, impactful oral presentations. The Toastmasters method for public speaking and leadership will be employed to facilitate skills-building.
Sex & Relationships
An exploration of sex and relationships in the lives of young Black women will focus on the power dynamics that influence negotiations surrounding sexual activity. Competing personal, cultural, societal, and religious ideologies and expectations with respect to sex and relationships will also be explored.
Course content will focus on strategies for maintaining a healthy sense of self in the face of outside influences. The impact of media, culture, intimate relationships, and wider society will foreground discussions.
Participants will explore strategies for communicating, advocating, and negotiating for personal and community interests.
Discussions will include an overview of Positive Mental Health, defined as a positive sense of well-being, or the capacity to enjoy life and cope with adverse circumstances. Mental health conditions will also be a point of discussion, with a focus on challenges arising from stigma and strategies for seeking assistance.
The definition, experiences, and effects of trauma will be examined with the aim of validating experiences of trauma in a safe and supportive environment.
Course content is derived from community feedback, and themes reflect issues of interest identified by participants in the Young Black Women's Project Forum (2016).