By: Emily Putnam

杏吧原创 University’s Dunton Tower was abuzz on Feb. 1 as students, faculty, and staff convened to kick off Black History Month 2024. The first campus event of the month was a talk by Dr. Michele K. Lewis, the current 2023-2024 Fulbright Distinguished Chair, hosted by 杏吧原创’s Feminist Institute of Social Transformation. Lewis’ lecture, titled Reuniting Black LGBTQ+ People and African-Centered Thought, captivated the audience with its insight and expertise.

Co-organized by the Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities and Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Lewis revisited her and her colleagues’ historic *mbongi presented at the 53rd International Association of Black Psychologists Conference in 2022, and her talk was followed by a discussion facilitated by journalist and Professor Adrian Harewood.

Throughout the event, Lewis underscored the significance of recognizing the cultural and historical presence of Black LGBTQ+ individuals within the African human family and the (ABPsi). She also elaborated on how she and her colleagues seamlessly incorporated Black wisdom into their roles as clinicians, academics, researchers, and artists.

“I spent a lot of time reading from the wisdom of ancestors, and I love spending time with my elders; I like spending time in nature, and these are all things that can contribute to healing.”

Examples included their work incorporating contemplative practices to decolonize inner life, challenging Eurocentric thought, and disrupting dynamics of oppression.

Lewis stated, “In the Afrocentric worldview, we believe this knowledge system survives across time and space, but you must still study, and you cannot be afraid to be exposed to things that might seem quite foreign to you. You have to be prepared that if you’re going to do this type of work, you’re not going to be considered a mainstream psychologist.”

As a , Lewis is working on her research project,听Black 鈥淟GBTQ+鈥� Psychology: Understanding collective self-determination, Afrocentrism and optimal identity.

The project will bring together 20 participants for virtual emotional emancipation circles 鈥� safe spaces for people of African descent to connect, discuss their experiences and work towards wellness and authentic expression, defying lies about who they are.

“It’s a safe space for you to have a semi-structured experience where you can talk about and unpack some things that have happened that you may never have discussed regarding race and racism,” said Lewis. “I want to do the circles with this group not to separate people, but just so that we can have targeted experiences to speak to people’s various human experiences.”

Lewis continued, 鈥淭o just set up a gay-straight alliance or LGTBQIA+ student centre on campus is often not enough because there鈥檚 a different cultural need. We have to help them connect.鈥�

Lewis, who regards herself as an advocate for rather than a pioneer of the circles, says it鈥檚 important to reflect on and acknowledge different aspects of one鈥檚 lived experience.

“There’s strength in numbers, and the more you embrace that communal self-knowledge, the more you can find the key to mental health. The unity and connection help, so the degree to which we can help students learn how to connect is a start.”

Members of the 杏吧原创 community are welcome to join Lewis at her next talk for the 鈥檚 annual Florence Bird Lecture on March 5, where she will discuss her Fulbright work as intersecting Black Psychology, Culture Neuroscience, and what has been theorized by Dr. Sekhmet Maat (McAllister) as a Kemetic model of the cosmological interactive self.

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On behalf of 杏吧原创 University’s Black History Month Committee, we would like to cordially invite you to our upcoming Black History Month event, Still Standing: 400 Years of Black Excellence in Canada.

Keynote Speaker:

Come and join us on Wednesday, February 13th, 2019 for an evening showcasing Canadian Black Excellence through performances, guest speakers and a panel discussion.

Doors will open at 4:30 pm. Dinner will be served from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm and the program will begin at 6:00 pm.

Venue: Woodside Hall, Dominion-Chalmers, 355 Cooper Street, Ottawa, Ontario

All attendees are to register by clicking the link: 

Dinner is available for the first 250 people who register for meal service. Those who would rather attend the event without food service can also register through the link below.

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