Click to talk to a trained teen volunteer.

Black History Month – Black Futures

Artwork by Amika Cooper @blackpowerbarbie

Happy Black History Month!

If you saw our last post, you know that this month and onward Teen Health Source is dedicating our platform to highlight issues facing the Black community relating to health, relationships, and more. We’ve once again sat down with Paula, the Volunteer Engagement Worker for Planned Parenthood Toronto’s T.E.A.C.H. program to discuss what Black futures mean to them, some different ways of thinking about Black liberation, and some great resources to check out on your own to learn more!

During this conversation we discuss issues related to anti-Black racism, discrimination, and other difficult topics. We encourage you to take a break when necessary if things feel overwhelming, but understand that while it may be uncomfortable these are important things to learn and talk about when you can. 

Key Terms 

Works on Black Futures

21 Black Futures 

21 Black Futures is a Canadian short film analogy series with 21 Black directors, playwrights, and actors all creating theatrical performance pieces to answer the question What is the future of Blackness? All works are available to stream on CBC Gem here.

Black Futures by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham 

Black Futures is an American anthology of Black art, writing, and other creative work, edited by writer Jenna Wortham and curator Kimberly Drew. From Penguin Random House: “Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham have brought together this collection of work—images, photos, essays, memes, dialogues, recipes, tweets, poetry, and more—to tell the story of the radical, imaginative, provocative, and gorgeous world that Black creators are bringing forth today. The book presents a succession of startling and beautiful pieces that generate an entrancing rhythm: Readers will go from conversations with activists and academics to memes and Instagram posts, from powerful essays to dazzling paintings and insightful infographics.” Read more about their work here.

Adornment Stories 

Adornment Stories is a living archive of Black experiences related to mental health, focusing on Black women, femmes and non-binary folks. From their website: “Our model focuses on recognizing the unique ways gender, race, sexuality, and the fullness of our experiences impact mental health. We provide a platform for Black folks neglected in mental health dialogues to have space to share their narratives and redefine their power.” Check out their website here.

Resources

While Teen Health Source focuses on information related to sexual health and relationships, we can still suggest resources and further reading if you have more questions,  feel free to contact one of our peer educators. [Link]

Last updated: February 2023.