JOYSHOP: Telling Our Stories: Joy, Rest, and Resistance in the Black Community

Held in celebration of Black History Month, Telling our Stories was an interactive ‘joyshop’ that probed the politics, identities, and lived realities of members of Montreal’s Black community. The event opened with a moving Afro-Caribbean dance performance by Amanda Benn. Inspired by Tricia Hersey’s ground-breaking book, Rest and Resistance, participants were asked to articulate what brings them joy, to share stories of resistance (or unrest) and rest, and to reflect upon how we understand and experience these terms through different stages of our lives. Moderated by community leader and CBC Black change-maker Renate Betts and facilitated by Concordia students, this participatory hybrid event involved over 60 participants.

The event was co-organized by engAGE: Concordia Centre for Research on Aging, the NDG Dépôt Community Food Centre (who provided refreshments), the English Montreal School Board, the Eva Marsden Centre for Social Justice and Aging, Extra Miles senior visiting program, the WIN Intergenerational Network, the Council for Black Aging Montreal, and Women on the Rise.