Black & Brown Women United to Heal

We are a group of Black & Brown women working, primarily with youth and families of color. Through our work, we realize there is a great need for a safe and supportive healing space for Black & Brown women, across professions in the Madison Community. Our goal is to create healing circles for black and brown women to bring their whole selves. Our mission is to provide women with the clarity, confidence, and connections they need to amplify their authentic voices; grow and contribute their talents; and powerfully transform their lives, careers, and communities in greater Madison. Our team will be traveling to a conference this fall, where we hope to broaden our knowledge and understanding and exchange best practices for navigating self-care.

Get to know Black & Brown Women United to Heal better

Please share about what sparked you all to submit your Amplify Madison proposal? What are some of the challenges you want to transform for yourselves and the Madison community?

Our team has navigated the city of Madison for over 20 years, and we have held positions where we have needed and asked for a space of healing for Black and Brown staff members. We realized through our journey of taking ownership of our need for self-care that this is something now only do we need at our agencies but we need in the city of Madison. We understand the importance mental health and overall wellness plays in the lives of Black and Brown women, while balancing the stigmas within our communities. We want to start the acceptance and the supporting of our own healing.

Please share about your experience collaborating across organizations for your Amplify experience – What are you learning about the nature of collaboration?

Working as a team across different programs in our agency, we have come to learn that although women’s backgrounds, cultures, languages and ways of living might differ, as women of color we unite to heal. We support each other through the pain society brings to us as well as support through the systems not made for women of color to flourish.

What is your team’s vision for Madison

Our vision is to create healing circles for Black & Brown Women, a safe space to gather for support, networking, and exchange best practices for navigating white spaces.

What has been your team’s experience in preparation to your professional development experience? What are some of the expectations you already have about the event, conference or other similar you are about to attend?

As a team we have realized how much time has been needed to put into this project but most importantly how needed it is. As women leading this project, we have also been balancing our demanding careers, health, families and more. We continuously try to come together and provide ourselves that space we know we are trying to bring to the larger Madison community. For the conference, although we have had to change our original plan of location and conference because the desired conference has closed its registration. We are in the lookout for a very similar conference to be able to gain the knowledge of best practices for self-care for Black and Brown women.

What has been your team’s experience during your professional development experience? What are some of the key knowledge, skills and learning you are bringing back to Madison?

We are still in the beginning stages of our professional development for our project, but we have learned the importance of team work, effective communication and navigating scheduling conflicts. We know all of our learning to prepare the healing circles will be key information to bring to the circles for further growth from participates.

What has been your team’s experience during your community engagement activities back in Madison? What are some of your key reflections and learning during this period?                         
Although we are still in the process of creating our group and preparing for the communities’ participation. As a team, our community has embraced us and urged us about the need there is for our healing circles. We are truly excited to continue and be ready for the city of Madison.