Black Men Rising: A Communal Healing Space for African Heritage Men
Decolonising the Archive (DTA) has identified two critical challenges affecting our African heritage communities: suicide among African heritage men and isolation/separatism. These issues, deeply rooted in systemic and historical harm, demand a proactive and community-centred response. In light of this, DTA has created Black Men Rising—a transformative programme aimed at facilitating healing, resilience, and communal self-repair.
This initiative is not institutional or referral-based; instead, it is designed to provide a safe, culturally sensitive space for Black men of African and diasporic heritage. Here, participants can embark on a journey of self-reflection, somatic recovery, and empowerment without the need to engage with traditional health systems.
A Unique Approach to Healing
DTA has partnered with experts in racialised trauma to deliver a healing process that is slow, patient, kind, and rooted in cultural understanding. Leading the sessions is Rowan Carr, a trauma-informed somatic education and healing practitioner with over three decades of experience in anti-racism and racial justice. Rowan is the creator of the Black Body-Heart-Mind Somatic Healing Method and the Tending the Wounds of Racial Harm course, which integrates three pillars:
1. Empowered Recognition – Acknowledging harm caused by systemic racism to heal the mind.
2. Somatic Recovery – Liberating subconscious wounding stored in the body.
3. Embodied Resilience – Building emotional strength to navigate ongoing challenges.
Rowan will be joined by Professor Gus John, a renowned educator and community advocate, who will lead the intergenerational sessions. These sessions will allow participants to not only gain wisdom from elders but also share their own personal experiences, allowing a powerful exchange of knowledge and insight across generations.
This holistic and culturally sensitive approach combines group ritual healing circles and one-to-one sessions to address racialised trauma, building resilience and empowerment in participants.
The Purpose
The programme seeks to raise awareness and begin to address the ongoing harm caused by white-bodied cultural supremacy. This harm is historical, pervasive, and systemic, often manifesting in insidious ways that are unnoticed until it becomes too late to repair.
Through Black Men Rising, participants will:
Gain deeper insights into the hidden harms of racialisation.
Learn tools to tend to those harms within themselves and their communities.
Experience a communal rite of passage, emphasising the power of collective healing.
We believe that we heal best when we heal together, creating ripples of change that will inspire others to model this approach for future generations.
Practical Information
Who can attend: Black men of African and diasporic heritage seeking self-repair and communal healing. No institutional referrals or ties to health services are required.
Format: Four communal healing sessions.
Facilitators: Rowan Carr and Black Body-Heart-Mind Consultancy, supported by community elders including Professor Gus John.
Space: Intimate class sizes to ensure privacy and safety.
Refreshments: Provided at each session.
A Call to Action
As Walter Rodney stated, “Every African has the responsibility to understand the system.” Understanding also means recognising and addressing the harm caused by that system. It is time to stand together and rise again in response to the relentless challenges of white-bodied supremacy.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Synergy for their support in making meaningful strides towards healing and empowerment for our African heritage community.
Join us in this journey of healing, resilience, and rising together.