Kustawi is KiSwahili for “thriving.”
Kustawi is a knowledge enterprise livicated to the inherent dignity and thriving of African descent boys, men, and those who love them. It is a shared space for individuals, communities and birth and chosen relations to explore healing, restoration of dignity, enhanced resiliency and awakening of higher consciousness for living examined and purposeful lives. Through archetypes such as King, Warrior, Magician and Lover, and, their shadow-side in every boy and man Kustawi fosters awakening to the Creator within, harmony, knowledge of self and the just uses of power.
Kustawi is grounded in the principle of Ma'at (right living) and the philosophy of Ubuntu (I am because we are). The Institute holds it self-evident that African descent boys and men are free willing. They have come to this earthly plane in the likeness of the Supreme Being, the Grantor of Dominion (GoD), who made them beneficiaries of this Earthly Estate.
Our Goal
Thriving With Purpose
Through engagement modalities such as webinars, access to specialists, access to ongoing and extant research, online library, online symposia and face-to-face conventions Kustawi aims to be trusted resource for the upliftment of African descent boys, men and those who love them.
Engagement
Building meaningful connections and community.
Knowledge
Disseminate research and education.
Service
Access to male-centred expertise and services.
The Challenge
Addressing Hidden Crises
The Institute will play an important role in raising awareness around overt and hidden forms of trauma, such as sexual violence over the life course, and offer strategies for enhanced resilience and recovery from the challenges of anti-Black misandry. Unaddressed and unacknowledged trauma can negatively affect:
What We Do
Remembering Creative Power
The Institute recognizes that many African descent boys and men are impacted by anti-Black misandrist dehumanizing stereotypes, unspoken trauma, and the silencing of their emotional lives. The Institute recognizes also that the internal narratives of many African descent boys and men mirrors the anxiety, contempt and eroticized fear that others project onto them.
Advocacy
Championing the emotional well-being and dignity of African descent boys and men.
Education
Community education, engagement and knowledge dissemination for healing and empowerment.
Research
Promote affirming and supportive critical research on identity, trauma and resilience.
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Therapy
Supporting men and boys in reclaiming balance and creativity through recovery from trauma.
Featured
Health & Wellness
Resources and education for the emotional, physical and psychological well-being for African descent boys, men, and the communities that support them. Disclaimer: Kustawi does not offer medical advice
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Book of the Month
Black Cop: My 36 years in police work, and my career ending experiences with official racism
by Lawrence, Calvin
When Calvin Lawrence joined the Halifax City Police in 1969, he thought he knew what to expect. There was growing tension in the city between the black community and the police, and Calvin believed that as a black police officer he would be able to make a difference.But what he didn't know was that he was embarking on a life-long career in which he would consistently be the target of racist behaviour — from his co-workers and his superiors, and from police organizations as a whole. Calvin describes how he was the target of racial slurs, mocked for being black, pigeonholed into roles, and denied advancement because he was not white. After 36 years in law enforcement, Calvin retired early from the police, suffering from clinical depression and with a settlement from the RCMP after winning a Human Rights complaint.Calvin holds nothing back as he reflects on a career that took him across the country — he shares his experiences as Newfoundland's only black police officer, his undercover stints in Edmonton and Toronto, and his time in Ottawa protecting major world leaders like Jimmy Carter and Brian Mulroney.Calvin Lawrence's story lays bare the key failures of Canadian police organizations that operate on the basis that only white Canadians are entitled to the rights promised to all by the rule of law and the Canadian Charter of Rights.
Get Involved
Kustawi Institute invites those committed to enhancing the lives of African descent boys, men and those who love them to share their expertise, ideas and passion.
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