Mental Health in Hamilton’s Black Community: A Symposium
Jun 26, 2025
8:00AM to 5:00PM
Date/Time
Date(s) - 26/06/2025
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Dr. Ingrid Waldron Invites You to the Mental Health in Hamilton’s Black Community: A Symposium
The symposium addresses the critical mental health care gap affecting Black individuals in Hamilton. Despite Canada’s universal healthcare system, Black populations experience longer wait times, limited access to culturally competent services, and structural barriers such as stigmatization, racism, and systemic exclusion.
This event aims to address the gaps in culturally-informed mental health services and other supports, mental health policies, and research on mental health in Hamilton’s Black community by fostering and strengthening cross-sectoral partnerships.
Join us for a one-day symposium to bring together community members, youth, health and mental health service providers, clinicians, health and mental health policymakers, community leaders from community organizations, students, and researchers to engage in solution-oriented discussions on the gaps in culturally-informed services, policies and research on mental health in Hamilton’s Black community.
Lead Event Organizer
Dr. Ingrid Waldron, PhD, Professor and HOPE Chair in Peace and Health Global Peace and Social Justice Program, Department of History, McMaster University.
Event Host
Josie Elysia, CEO #Hashtag PR.
Keynote Panel
Moderator
Dr. Gift Madojemu, MD, MPH, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University.
Panelist
Dr. Suzanne Archie, MD, FRCPC, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University.
Panelist
Tychon Carter-Newman, Mental Wealth Innovationist, TEDx Speaker, Winner of Big Brother Canada 9, Mind State U.
Panelist
Dr. Sandy Ezepue, D.Sc, MPH, CHE, Executive Director, Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre.
Panelist
Dr. Kwame McKenzie, PhD., Senior Scientist and Director of Health Equity, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health CEO, Wellesley Institute.
Please register here.
Date: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Time: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Location: McMaster’s Continuing Education Building, Room 204/206 (1 James Street North, Hamilton, Ontario (Corner of King and James Street), take the lobby elevators up to the 2nd)
Co-Sponsored By:
- The Greater Hamilton Health Network
- McMaster Community Research Platform
- Hamilton Public Library
- Advanced Research on Mental Health and Society
- Afro Canadian Caribbean Association Hamilton
- Refugee Hamilton Centre for Newcomer Health
- Canadian Mental Health Association of Hamilton
- Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre
