On December 19, Baobab Black Seniors Care Society hosted a culturally meaningful holiday gathering for Black seniors that centered connection, dignity, and belonging. The event included a shared dinner at a Nuba restaurant, followed by a concert experience featuring the Soweto Gospel Choir. The evening was intentionally designed to reduce isolation, strengthen community ties, and create safe spaces where Black seniors feel seen, valued, and celebrated.
Building Connection Through Shared Meals
The evening began with a communal dinner, where food became a catalyst for reconnection and storytelling. Seniors engaged in deep and joyful conversations, catching up on life and sharing memories. We had a total of 35 Black Seniors in attendance. About 3 seniors discovered they had worked together years earlier in the same facility during their younger working lives. These spontaneous reunions highlighted the deep but often hidden networks that exist within the Black senior community.
The dinner environment fostered trust and openness. Seniors who had not previously attended Baobab events expressed feeling welcomed and comfortable and some asked why we didn’t invite them to the other events. For many, this was one of the few spaces where their cultural identity and lived experiences were centered without explanation or justification. Others told me, they will be inviting some of the Seniors in their circles at the next events.
Cultural Expression and Collective Healing Through Music
The concert that followed marked the emotional and cultural highlight of the evening. Feedback received the following day described the experience as deeply moving, rejuvenating, and spiritually uplifting. One senior mentioned she has never had such fun since her husband passed away 5 years ago. The music resonated strongly with the seniors, many of whom connected the performance to personal histories shaped by apartheid, colonialism, racism, displacement, and resilience in their countries of origin and in Canada.
For several seniors, the music brought back powerful memories of struggle and survival, while also offering a sense of healing, pride, and affirmation. The performance provided a meaningful festive holiday experience that went beyond entertainment, offering recognition of histories that are often overlooked within mainstream senior programming.
Outcomes and Impact
This event successfully reduced social isolation, strengthened peer connections, and reinforced a sense of belonging among Black seniors. Participants left feeling uplifted, emotionally nourished, and more connected to both Baobab staff, volunteers and one another. The experience demonstrated the importance of culturally grounded programming in supporting mental, emotional, and social wellbeing for Black seniors.
Advancing Research, Visibility, and Systems Change
Beyond community building, events like this play a critical role in Baobab’s broader strategy to reach Black seniors who are often underrepresented, isolated, or effectively invisible within existing systems. Through trusted, culturally safe gatherings, Baobab is able to identify and engage Black seniors who have historically been missed by programs, research, and policy development.
By building relationships and gathering participation, Baobab is creating pathways to responsibly collect disaggregated data that reflects the real experiences and needs of Black seniors. This data is essential for informing research, influencing policy, and supporting system-level change. The importance of inclusion and evidence-based approaches, Baobab’s work directly contributes to this mandate by ensuring Black seniors are counted, represented, and meaningfully included. Through intentional community engagement, Baobab is laying the groundwork for research that can support improved service design, equitable funding decisions, and policy reforms that respond to the realities of Black seniors in British Columbia.
Conclusion
Baobab Black Seniors Care Society remains deeply committed to creating spaces where Black seniors belong, are seen, and are appreciated. This event exemplifies how culturally relevant programming can foster connection while also advancing long-term goals related to equity, research, and systemic change. We are grateful to the seniors who participated and shared their presence, stories, and trust. Their engagement strengthens our collective efforts to ensure Black seniors age with dignity, identity, and meaningful support.
