Community-Centered Projects
Outreach Pillar One
SoulClap Cafe
The SoulClap Cafe is an intergenerational and intercultural story circle that featured discussions of the Black woman's experience. The OMNI Institute of Well-Being invited Black women to a safe and sacred space to release the emotional burdens they carry. We analyzed their responses to identify impacts of stereotypes and self-imposed expectations on daily life and wellness. Participants were then challenged to share their habits and insights of life as pathways to rest and mental health for Black women.
SoulClap:
A Black Joy Journal
SoulClap: A Black Joy Journal is a community initiative that brings together research and prose that reflects the experiences of the Black community. The mission of Soul Clap is to develop a digital publication that centers joy in the everyday lives of African diaspora people. This focus is meant to shift the mainstream narrative away from trauma, a crucial evolution for the emotional, social, physical, and spiritual wellbeing of African diaspora people. This annual publication, made possible by a grant from Florida State Open Publishing, will showcase scholarship from the fields of autoethnography and creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry). Other content will include interviews, soundtracks, and intergenerational storytelling.