Through presentation, conversation, activity, and reflection, community activist and educator Darrell Wade will share how he came to found Black Men’s Wellness, a community-based initiative that addresses health concerns commonly affecting Black and African American men. Co-presented with Christopher Scott, a facilitator with Black Men’s Wellness and creator of the Hip Hop Social Worker podcast, this workshop will offer insights and perspectives on building community-based networks for health, while identifying the ways that collaboration and imagination inform this work.

Through culturally specific, trauma-informed workshops, Black Men’s Wellness engages African American men of all ages to identify and discuss health concerns they are currently experiencing and/or to which they are susceptible. The organization offers curriculum and activities focused on healthy eating and physical fitness to raise awareness, equip participants, and promote strategies for prevention. The project was founded by community activist and educator Darrell Wade, who has over twenty years of experience providing direct services and advocacy centered around racial equity, public health, and wellness for underserved populations and communities of color.

Advanced registration is required; click here to sign up for this workshop.

About the Presenters

Darrell Wade is an African American male fighting for the health and wellness of Black and African American males in his community. It is his twenty-plus years of social work and community advocacy, coupled with the lived experience of losing several endeared black males to hypertension-induced cardiac conditions, that created the catalyst for founding the Black Men's Wellness initiative. Darrell seeks to leverage community knowledge, relationships, and locality to create a network of resources and relationships for community-empowered educational experiences that change health outcomes for Black men. Darrell brings compassion, wit, wisdom, and fury to this complex journey of community healing, gathering tools for Black Men to cultivate health and wellness on their own terms.

Christopher Scott is best known for his Hip Hop Social Worker podcast, where he talks with other social workers and shares his “Why not me?” philosophy with listeners. After gaining valuable experience in the field, Christopher entered Portland State University where he earned his Masters Degree in Social Work. His area of expertise is working with juveniles, from early childhood to adolescents in schools, outpatient treatment programs, residential treatment programs, and juvenile corrections.