Sitting With Discomfort: Understanding the Entry Points to Violence Among Young Barbadian Men
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RBC (BARBADOS)
When: Friday, August 31st, 2025
📍 Location: Gun Hill Signal Station, Barbados
🕒 Time: ⏰ 5:30 pm- 8:30 pm (AST)
Price: FREE!
🎯 Who Should Attend: Men, boys, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters (family), mentors, women and allies (ALL ARE WELCOMED)
💬 Format: Open dialogue, storytelling, insights about Black men and boys’ lived experiences, and resource sharing.
🎯 FREE Event | FREE refreshments | FREE haircuts.
Free Event
Free Refreshment
Free Beauty Services
The recent surge in gun violence and youth deviance has ignited public outcry across Barbados. At the center of this crisis are our young Black men—often portrayed as perpetrators, rarely understood as products of neglect, fractured systems, and unspoken pain. While blame circulates among parents, schools, the government, churches, law enforcement, and social media, the deeper question remains: what are the root causes driving so many of our young men toward violence?
This forum calls for an essential and urgent discussion that focuses on the lives and realities of young Black men in Barbados. Using both academic research and community knowledge, we will hold space for Black men to discuss the social, psychological, and cultural forces shaping their experiences — from the lack of consistent male mentorship and mental health support to the pressures of conforming to traditional notions of masculinity in Barbados, as well as resistance to historical Barbadian masculine roles, poverty, and limited opportunities.
On Sunday, 31st, 2025, the Barbershop Talk Series will host its 2nd Annual Community conversation discussing the Entry Points to Violence Among Young Barbadian Men.
This critical discussion invites both community voices and academic perspectives to examine the layered and intersecting factors fueling male youth violence in Barbados. We will explore the role of shifting societal values, the erosion of traditional support systems, and the pressing impact of mental health challenges on our youth.
We welcome educators, counsellors, community leaders, youth workers, scholars, and those directly impacted to join us in this space of listening, learning, and action. Let’s move past blame and toward building systems that affirm, protect, and uplift our young Barbadian men.
REGISTER HERE
