Nearly 2,000 Black women across Canada just created the most significant health data collection in our history. The Black Women’s Institute for Health’s Voices Unheard report dropped like thunder, and Toronto’s Caribbean community needs to hear what it says, because it speaks directly to us.
At last week’s launch event in North York, this groundbreaking research validated what every Caribbean household already knows: Our healing traditions are lifelines.
The data confirms what Granny always knew
When 76% of Black women report being dismissed by healthcare providers, that matches every story we’ve heard at family dinners. When the report shows culturally appropriate care improves outcomes, that’s every mother who knew which bush tea would break that fever.
The Toronto Caribbean community has been practicing preventative healthcare long before it had a fancy name. Mental health support through church circles. Community healing through Saturday soup kitchens. Wisdom sharing through domino tables and hair salons.
“What pharmaceuticals couldn’t achieve, “Three Little Birds” did.”
Nadia Thompson shared something powerful; when her mother with dementia wasn’t responding to treatment, she brought Bob Marley into the hospital room. What pharmaceuticals couldn’t achieve, “Three Little Birds” did.
Why this matters for every Caribbean family
The Voices Unheard report is ammunition. Next time a provider dismisses your pain, you can cite data showing this happens to 3 out of 4 Black women. When you request a Black healthcare provider, you’re citing evidence that representation saves lives.
This report validates what we’ve been navigating silently: Code-switching between patois at home and “proper English” at the hospital; explaining that prayer and medicine aren’t mutually exclusive, and the rage when our elders’ dignity is stripped because nobody understands their cultural needs.
While politicians debate funding, Caribbean communities run parallel healthcare systems. The church mother is checking blood pressure. The Brampton doula networks.
Celina Caesar-Chavannes dropped neuroscience, validating our practices: when we feel safe and seen, our brains heal. Every lime, every “you eat today?” text, that’s healthcare. Social connection is medicine, and we’ve been prescribing it for generations.
From Malvern to Mississauga: Moving forward
Voices Unheard gives us language for what we’ve always known. Now at Scarborough General, or Credit Valley Hospital, we’re informed advocates with Canadian data backing our demands.
Your healing practices are valid. Soursop for inflammation, ginger for nausea, prayer for everything, the report confirms cultural practices work.
You deserve Black healthcare providers. UofT now admits 25 Black medical students each year. Demand representation; it’s evidence-based medicine.
Document everything. We’re building our own database. Use available resources. CAMH’s Center for Black Mental Health exists. The Amani Center offers free therapy for Black youth. BWIH provides navigation support.
What excites me most is how Voices Unheard transforms kitchen table wisdom into policy-changing power. When 1,300 Black women speak in unison, systems must listen. It reminds us that we have never needed their permission to heal each other.
The report reveals that Black women with strong community connections have better health outcomes. That’s every Saturday gathering, every WhatsApp check-in, every “come eat” moment.
“Stop apologizing for taking up space.”
To my Caribbean community: This report is your invitation to be loud about what you need. Demand the respect your tax dollars deserve. Stop apologizing for taking up space.
BWIH is still collecting stories, building partnerships, and forcing change. They need the aunties, grandmothers, and sisters in the margins to step forward and heal. Share this report at church. Discuss it at your lime. When the Toronto Caribbean community moves collectively, mountains move with us.
Visit bwhealthinstitute.com to read the full report. Add your voice. Your healing isn’t just individual, it’s revolutionary.
Family, we’ve been the cure all along. Now we have the receipts to prove it. What healing traditions from your Caribbean household should Canadian healthcare adopt?
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