Black History Month – Black Futures

By Teen Health Source

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 

• Black Capitalism – a political movement that aims to see Black people in positions of ownership and power within a capitalist society
• Black Excellence – refers to a movement that highlights the exceptional achievements of Black people, often looked at as an aspirational way of advancing the success of the Black community
• Black Liberation – refers to freeing Black people from the various social, political, and economic forces that oppress them. Black Liberation 
• Bow and Arrow Analogy – there are a few ways of thinking about the symbolism of the bow and arrow, in this conversation we’re referencing the need to go back to move forward (similar to how you draw a bowstring back to release an arrow forward). This means not forgetting about the past for the sake of progress, but keeping the lessons of history in mind as we make decisions about the future. 
• Futurity – refers to something happening in the future. In the case of Black Futurity, we’re thinking about looking beyond the time we’re in to imagine new, better realities for Black folks
• Rainbow Capitalism – a political movement that aims to include the 2SLGBTQ+ community within the social and economic structure of capitalism, often as consumers 
• Utopia – refers to an ideal place, often relating to social conditions, politics, resource access, etc. When we talk about utopias in this conversation, we’re thinking of the characteristics that could make up a perfect world for Black folks in the future. 

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

• Click here for more info on TEACH and how to get in touch with Paula to book a workshop!
• Black Progress: How far we’ve come, and how far we have to go – Brookings 

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.