The halls of 300 Water Street in Whitby were filled with energy, purpose and pride as DurhamCommunity Health Centre (DCHC) hosted its Black Health and Wellness Day, bringing together community members and healthcare practitioners from across the Greater Toronto Area.

Led by CEO Francis Garwe, the event created a space where culture, conversation and care intersected. From on-site HIV testing clinics to candid panel discussions on systemic barriers in education and healthcare, the focus remained clear: advancing health equity and strengthening the well-being of Blackcommunities.

In welcoming attendees, Garwe emphasized the power of connection. Encouraging participants to build new relationships, he reminded the audience that healing often begins with solidarity and shared experience.

The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Kwame McKenzie,CEO of the Wellesley Institute and a practicing psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. An internationally recognized expert on the social determinants of health, McKenzie has advised governments in Canada and the United Kingdom and serves on Canada’s National Advisory Council on Poverty.

Opening with humour, he quickly turned to the urgency of his message. “I’m going to talk about how what makes health fairer for Black people,” he said, outlining what he described as three wishes: one for the federal government, one for the provincial government, and one for the community itself.

McKenzie presented stark statistics that underscored persistent inequities. Black women experience HIV-related death rates dramatically higher than their white counterparts. Diabetes-related mortality remains elevated. Black men face prostate cancer death rates significantly above the national average.

“Healthcare does not produce the same outcomes for everyone,” he said. “We have to do something about that.”

Central to his argument was the importance of race-based data collection. During the early months of COVID-19, such data was not being gathered in

Ontario. Advocacy by Black health leaders changed that.

Once collected and analyzed, the data revealed that infection rates in Black communities were disproportionately high. Targeted interventions followed, and the gap narrowed significantly.

“If you are not counted, you do not count,” McKenzie stressed, emphasizing that data must inform policy and action.

Panel discussions throughout the day expanded the conversation beyond statistics. Speakers addressed culturally safe care, mental wellness, and the need for affirming spaces in both schools and healthcare institutions.

Participants challenged colonial frameworks that continue to shape service delivery and called for approaches grounded in community knowledge and lived experience.

Health practitioners highlighted prevention strategies that extend beyond clinical settings, including nutrition education, mental health supports and culturally responsive programming. Others spoke candidly about navigating institutions that often marginalize Black voices while stressing the importance of sustained advocacy.

A clear message resonated throughout the gathering: healing is both systemic and communal. Progress

requires institutional accountability, but it also depends on empowered communities working collectively toward change.

As applause closed the program, Black Health and Wellness Day stood not as a single event, but as a renewed call to action, one rooted in knowledge, connection and a shared commitment to advancing health equity across the region.

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