Women’s Empowerment 2022

Black Women Glow: Healing, Empowerment & Growth.

About this Event

In our attempt to continue to support and empower Black Canadian women, the Afro Caribbean Mentorship Program (ACMP) sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada, will host an online event during Women’s History Month in March 2022.  This event will celebrate ACB Women’s Empowerment on the themes of Healing, Empowerment & Growth.  The ACMP will host ONE online event focused on the personal, academic, physical, and mental advancement of ACB women, while critically engaging on the concept of Blackness in Canadian society.

Our goal is to address the impact of anti-Black racism and its effects on Black Women while providing Hope through sharing resources, educational support, and guidance from Black women experts within our community.  We will do this by the facilitation of a safe space for discussions with ACB women where they can critically think about their intersectionality and explore health, self-love, and personal advancement.  We aim to combine modern study and practices, with the knowledge and wisdom of Black women who came before us; the mothers, aunties, grandmothers, and cousins who help shape the lives of ACB women to this day.  The event will continue to support ACB businesses and their economically impacted owners by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our efforts consist of empowering our community to “BUY BLACK,” while enticing audiences to support Black businesses through commercial segments featuring ads from Black women owned businesses within the community.

This event keeps in mind that “women empowerment” in Canada often omits ACB women’s lived experiences. We purposely open this space to acknowledge, appreciate, honour and recognize ACB Women and their shared knowledge throughout the generations!   

Featuring our Expert Guests:

  • Dr. Leisha Strachan (Professor & Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies – U of Manitoba)
  • Saran Vaughn-James (Menstrual Health & Holistic Education)
  • Susan Wenzel (Sex therapist, relationship expert and psychotherapist)
  • Dr. Laurie Samuels (Founder of Cupid’s Sting – Domestic Violence Intervention)
  • Amie Archibald-Varley (RN, MN-CP Women’s Health)

Plus, Instructional Sessions with:

  • Meghan Stewart (Mindfulness Educator)
  • Tamar Joseph (Yoga Instructor & Counselor)

When: Thursday, March 24th
Time: 7 PM EST / 6 PM CST
Where: Zoom

This is a safe and inclusive space and is open to all community members who feel the need to learn about how we can continue to empower ACB women.

The topics that will be touched on are the following and not limited to:

  • Academic & Career Advancement
  • Dating & Relationships (Goals/ Challenges i.e. Domestic Violence. Fostering healthy relationships)
  • Menstrual & Reproduction Health Education & Myths
  • Mental Health & Meditation
  • Medical Racism and Equality in Healthcare
  • Skin Care Tips

Join the Conversation

black woman standing in room and reading book

Do you have a question for our experts?

Click below to submit your question and it will be answered LIVE during the event.

Expert Guests

Saran Vaughn-James

Saran James-Vaughan is the Founder of Wellness By Saran, a full-service Holistic Wellness Education platform dedicated to Menstrual Health and a decolonized approach to well-being. By combining the latest evidence-based research on diet & nutrition, ancient alchemy tools and herbal medicine, Saran supports the journey of identifying the root cause of chronic illness, helping the body, mind and soul return to balance.

Saran is also a Cultural Curator, Educator and Advocate, creating safe learning spaces for Afro-diasporic Youth at the intersection of wellness, art and culture.

How to connect with Saran


Dr. Leisha Strachan

Dr. Strachan is a Professor and serving as Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba. Her research is focused on positive youth development through sport and she is interested in exploring positive coaching behaviors and parent involvement.

In addition, Dr. Strachan is part of a research team exploring anti-racism policies and practices in Winnipeg and the sport experiences of newcomers in the community. Her experiences in the field of sport psychology have also involved applied work, spending five seasons as a mental performance consultant with the University of Manitoba women’s soccer team.

She is a former national team member in the sport of baton twirling, earning 2 bronze medals at the world championships. She has been coaching in the sport for the past 26 years and is a judge and choreographer in baton, working with athletes across Canada, Scotland, England, and Australia.

Learn more about Dr. Leisha Strachan


AMIE ARCHIBALD-VARLEY (RN, MN-CP)

Amie Archibald-Varley, RN, MN-CP Women’s Health, is a thought leader in advancing health equity and political health activism in healthcare. She inspires others to speak their truths and brings communities together to engage in “courageous conversations”. She is a dynamic speaker, scholar and medical media contributor. She currently works at Niagara Health as a Quality and Patient Safety Specialist for Emergency Services and Accreditation Canada Quality Lead.

Amie is the co-host of the successful “Gritty Nurse Podcast” which discusses hot topics in healthcare. Amie is also the Director of Multimedia at CanadiEM, which is “a community of practice for Canadian Emergency Medicine practitioners by producing and distributing high quality, freely available educational resources”.

Amie has been featured on numerous TV, Radio and News media outlets nationally and internationally. During the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic she has been a frequent medical contributor on CBC, CTV, Global News, CityNews, The Agenda, CTV W5, and TODAY . She has written for The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine & Toronto Star.


Susan Wenzel

Susan Wenzel is a certified sex therapist, relationship expert and psychotherapist with over 10 years of experience working with individuals and couples as well as leading seminars and workshops in the United States and Canada.

She an author of “A Happy Life in An Open Relationship: A Guide to Healthy and Fulfilling Nonmonogamous Love Life.”

Susan’s work has been featured in New York Times Magazine, The New York Post, O’Magazine – (Oprah Winfrey Magazine), Men’s Health, Business Insider and others. Susan is a regular guest speaker on various talk shows in Canada.

Susan was born and raised in Kenya and currently lives with her family in Manitoba, Canada.

You can reach her at www.susanwenzel.ca


Dr. Laurie Samuels

Laurie is a professionally trained criminologist with expertise in police misconduct, early identification and intervention systems (EIS), police-community relations, diversity & inclusion, and interpersonal violence. She has worked in education, research, homicide, human resources, and internal affairs.

In 2015, Dr. Samuels started the non-profit Cupid’s Sting, a non-profit interpersonal violence reduction program whose mission it is to teach women tools to prevent victimization. Cupid’s Sting teaches skills that women may employ in potential altercations or attacks inside or outside the home by facilitating workshops on dating abuse and domestic violence and to date, has trained hundreds of women in self-defense techniques.

Learn more about Dr. Samuels and Cupid’s Sting…

Featuring

Guided Sessions by:


Interested in getting involved?

For information on upcoming events or if you have a suggestion for an upcoming panel feel free to contact us.

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