Black Women In Motion — For black women, by black women

BY SELINA McCALLUM

The founder of Black Women In Motion (BWIM) wanted to find a way to provide workshops, resources, and tools for black women, by black women, due to the lack of opportunities solely for black women across the Greater Toronto Area.

Monica Samuel was inspired to start BWIM after having volunteered at Black Creek Community Health center, a non-profit community-based organization, that provides health care services and programs geared to vulnerable populations living in Toronto’s North West communities.

There she had a chance to work with clients and support a number of after school programs, that catered to young women and girls who lived within Ward 7, who were predominantly black and/or African-Caribbean diasporic.

“There weren’t many or any spaces dedicated specifically to black women during this time. BWIM started because we recognized the need for safe, non-judgemental and anti-oppressive spaces by black women, for black women,” said Samuel.

Black Women in Motion is a Toronto-based, youth-led organization that empowers, celebrates and supports the advancement of black and African-Caribbean diasporic women.

Established in 2013, Black Women in Motion is recognized as one of Toronto’s leading community organizations that prioritize and amplifies the voices, experience, and needs of black women. Through collaboration with local partners and community agencies, BWIM delivers programs and connects its clients to resources and opportunities needed to thrive.

“Our mission is to empower, celebrate and support the advancement of black and African-Caribbean diasporic women. Through collaboration with local partners and community agencies, we deliver programs and connect our clients to resources that support their needs,” said Samuel.

Black Peer Education Network (BPEN) is a four-year project dedicated to creating healthier and safer learning spaces for black youth to collectively work through dismantling and challenging rape culture and sexual violence within the black community.

BWIM hires and trains 10 community animators per cycle, and supports the youth as they host critical, honest and reflective conversations in the community, on sexual violence and consent.

Some of the training topics that the community animators learn and discuss are anti-oppression, consent 101, media literacy, project management, and mental health.

The workshops help the young black women by learning how to practice safe sex, be better allies to one another, hold others accountable, and calls people out when needed.

Jordyn Samuels who works as a Lead Equity Consultant for Journeys InEquity, a grassroots consulting company which provides equity and inclusion through social justice-based education, taught the first workshop, Anti-Oppression on Thursday, July 25^th. To date, Journeys InEquity has worked with 38 different organizations including Downsview Secondary School, University of Toronto, Nellie’s Women’s Shelter and Toronto Community Housing Corp. Samuels has partnered with BWIM from almost the beginning of the organization.

“Journeys InEquity continues to collaborate with Black Women in Motion because they both feed into each other. BWIM is dedicated to empowering black women and setting them up to be leaders in their communities,” said Samuels.

The founder of Black Women in Motion believes that togetherness and partnership in the black community will help black people excel.

“I think the black community is finally starting to understand the importance of collectivism. We have been conditioned to compete and be adversaries when in reality, we are each other’s keepers and are the solutions to the problems that exist within our community. From generating wealth to combating white supremacy, we hold the key,” said Samuel.

The founder of Black Women in Motion describes black women in many words.

“Leaders, soldiers, creators, innovators, royalty, divine, healers, strong, poised, elegant, resilient, confident, powerful, sacred, and mighty. Black women are pure f*cking magic,” said Samuel.

To find out more about Black Women in Motion follow them on Instagram and Facebook @blackwomeninmotion

Visit them at www.blackwomeninmotion.ca