BLACK GAY WELL-BEING
Black Gay Well-being is the title of a workshop/retreat series, podcast, and upcoming book by friends Jerome Braggs and Donell Hill.
This is the first project of its kind: a project dedicated to helping black gay men learn how to truly live whole + well lives.
first ever episode of Black Gay Well-being, recorded June 2020
Jerome and Donnie are known for their ability to bring inspiring transparency, irreverent humor, and unique and spiritual insight to this rich, if rarely explored topic.
Both the pitfalls and the potentials of being a black same-gender-loving man come vividly to light as the two friends share their own healing lessons learned while maneuvering through life as black SGL men, while also helping other black gay men do the same with greater wholeness and wellbeing.
Archive of other video episodes
Jerome Braggs & Donnie Hill: "Black Gay Wellbeing -- Becoming An Emancipated Black Gay Man"
Jerome Braggs & Donnie Hill: "Black Gay Wellbeing -- Reparenting Ourselves as Black Gay Men
The inspiration for this project (From Jerome):
I read in a beautiful article recently (written by Craig Washington), the phrase: “Where can Black gay men turn to unlearn the disabling beliefs they harbor about themselves?” This struck me so hard, because I had the EXACT same thought several years ago, and it was that thought that became the very impetus for a project I began to set in motion of creating: Black Gay Well-being.
Because of my own healing journey, I have come to know that at the root of all our dysfunctions, diseases, and sufferings is a disabling/unloving belief. And at the root of all our wellbeing is an enabling/loving belief.
So, I wanted Black Gay Well-being to be a series of intimate conversations, workshops and retreats, all aimed at helping black gay men heal themselves of the disabling beliefs and behavioral patterns they harbored, and learn instead how to establish enabling + loving beliefs and behavior patterns, so that they could truly experience whole + well lives in the world.
Mainly, because I just haven’t seen a space like this exist anywhere in our community FOR our community. I often see efforts to liberate our community - there are a myriad of organizations and events that are in service to black gay freedom, in some form or other, (HIV advocates, gay marriage, etc) but not many in service to our wholistic wellbeing. And to me, the conversation about freedom/liberation, to me, cannot be had without at the same time having the conversation about healing. Because one cannot be set free externally while still inhabiting internally a fearful or shame-sickened soul.
And I am most interested in a life of liberation, a life of joy, a life of wellness, a life of love. A well life. First, for myself, and then for all those I truly care about. And black gay men are at the top of that list.
So I created Black Gay Well-being to help do just that - help guide black gay men back to the well-being they both truly desire, and truly deserve.
This is a project where we learn to explore AND strip away what is untrue about us, so that we can finally make space in ourselves for something new, something true, something healthy, something grounded in Love, something that creates and manifests well-being.
Jerome Braggs Bio
Jerome Braggs is a highly-gifted Intuitive, Inspirational Speaker, Writer, and Well-being Sherpa.
In 2004, Jerome was diagnosed with AIDS and kidney failure, then given seven days to live. On his deathbed, Jerome had a Near Death Experience, in which he was told by Source that the key to true healing and well-being is: to wholly love yourself. That Near Death Experience catalyzed a mystical, multi-year healing journey, in which he learned how to truly heal himself, and create a deeply well + delicious life, through the practice of self-love.
Today, Jerome uses his intuitive gifts, and the sacred wisdom he learned through his journey, to teach spiritual seekers around the world how to heal themselves, and create delicious lives of well-being, through the practice of self-love.
Jerome believes self-love is the true key to wellbeing. And that "when we love ourselves, all is well, and all is coming."
He has devoted his life's work to helping others prove this to themselves.
Donnell Hill Bio
Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama as a same-gender-loving Black man, Donnie Hill learned a thing or two about resilience and making life count. One aspect of his life’s work is to support the ongoing healing and elevation of the Black gay soul.
When he is not doing that, Donnie advises paradigm-shifting business and community leaders who want to elevate and maximize the quality of life for those they lead. Donnie is the Founder and CEO of Life Maximizer LLC, a marketing and business strategy consulting company. Combining his Stanford University education with his experience as a communication coach, transformation specialist, strategist and sales facilitator, Donnie supports leaders in strategically building their presence and thought leadership platform so they stand out in their industry and maximize their impact, brand, and legacy.
“Business and leadership development are paths for personal and community transformation. When you do work that ignites the soul, you create a ripple effect that makes a more positive, joyful world.”
