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The Reach hosts panel discussion on racism and Black mental health

Abbotsford News - 3/20/2021

The Reach Gallery Museum will release a recorded panel discussion on Friday, March 19 that is aimed at shedding light on the effects of racism on the mental health of people of colour.

The Reach has partnered with Black Connections to launch the online resource. The panel features experts from across the region who will discuss resources and strategies for mental health and wellness, during a time when recent events have amplified the reality of systemic racism experienced by minority groups.

Moderator Ariam Yetbarek is a youth worker studying clinical psychology and a research assistant focusing on Black mental health.

She has been a relief worker for Indigenous girls and a youth worker for refugee and immigrant children. She is also certified in mental health first aid and as a suicide prevention worker.

Panelist Parker Johnson is from the unceded traditional territories of the Lekwungen Peoples on southern Vancouver Island.

In 2019, Johnson formed This is Table Talk, which began as a men's circle and soon expanded into a community platform, as a way to decolonize conversations within his local community. He had a goal of reminding people that they have a voice and that it is worth hearing.

Panelist Ayesha Sackey is Black African, British, and Canadian. She earned her bachelor of social Work from Goldsmiths University and her master of social work from Dalhousie University.

Sackey currently works as a clinical services manager for Burnaby Mental Health and Addiction BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, in addition to maintaining a private practice.

Their talk will be available online at thereach.ca.