Normalizing Mental Wellness for Black and Brown Communities.
Black Space is a community organization that provides free group therapeutic experiences for Black and Brown communities. In an effort to destigmatize mental wellness, Dr. Lia A. Knox, Corey Fells, and Darius Smith have come together to create beautiful and safe spaces, designated for healing communities that have been burdened by economic suppression, racial disparities in and limited access to quality health care, and a lack of culturally competent mental health providers. The organization operates in an inclusive infrastructure with sessions being tailored specifically to individuals who fall in the categories of Black and Brown women, the Black and Brown LGBTQ+ community, and Black and Brown men as the true eradication of systemic oppression is found in addressing problems that are specific to these communities. These group sessions, led by licensed mental health practitioners, are designed to facilitate meaningful dialogue amongst participants in which inclusivity is at the forefront, honoring their respective identities while providing free group therapeutic experiences. Creating a space for these experiences, designated for people of color, is something that Dr. Knox, Fells, and Smith are passionate about, even outside this space.
Dr. Knox, a licensed clinical professional counselor, has teamed up with Fells, brand architect, and Smith, an experienced curator, to build a space of healing, mental wellness, and culture. In a world where therapy is often seen as a luxury afforded to anyone who sits in the rigid confines of respectability and privilege, these three cultural savants are resisting that narrative by providing free group therapeutic experiences to the most vulnerable.
Corey Fells
[Audio Transcript] The alignment of passion and purpose is seldomly seen but for Corey Fells, it’s a reality. Fells is the current co-founder of Black Space with a wealth of experience in brand development, team leadership, and cultural organizing. Fells, an 8-year military veteran with over a decade of experience in supporting Black and Brown communities through advocacy and cultural ideation is tapping into another area with the same intent - mental health. Fells’ passion for normalizing therapy for Black and Brown people has led him to co-found Black Space in an effort to create free therapy in communities that need it the most.
Aside from championing solutions to issues that affect these communities, Fells has been featured in a number of media outlets including The Today Show, PBS, NPR, NBC News, Blavity News, BBC News, and more as a creative with expertise in filmmaking and photography.
Dr. Lia A. Knox
[Audio Transcript] Dr. Lia A. Knox may be the co-founder of Black Space and the CEO and founder of Knox Behavioral Health Solutions (KBHS) but more importantly, she’s a storyteller. Knox, whose resume spans nearly 30 years, is an expert in cultural competency and organizational health, helping her clients discover their innermost selves while encouraging them to maintain mental wellness along the way. Assisting her clients in being confident in telling their stories on their own terms is just a portion of who the esteemed mental wellness expert is. Dr. Knox’s true passion lies in uplifting those who display resilience in the face of adversity. It comes as no surprise that she’s using her wealth of experience with Black Space, aiding our most vulnerable communities in obtaining therapy, free of charge.
Doubling down as a media maven, Dr. Knox is hailed as an expert within her field and is routinely called upon to commentate on happenings related to her areas of expertise. Dr. Knox has been featured on The Today Show, PBS, NPR, PBS, Spectrum News One, and more.
Darius Smith
[Audio Transcript] Quite simply, Darius Smith is larger than life. A visual artist, event curator, organizer, and co-owner of The Locals Gallery, a multipurpose art gallery catered towards BIPOC communities, limits do not and never will exist for Smith. As the co-founder of Black Space, Smith is showcasing his talents in a new way - normalizing healthy mental health practices in Black and Brown communities. A true defender of people’s rights, Smith has built a reputation for empowering creatives of color through art and is regarded as a cultural savant. Whether it’s curating powerful experiences to engage creatives who have been overlooked or organizing communities to effectively create change, Smith is a diamond in the rough who knows no bounds.
Over the course of his career, Smith has been recognized for his impactful work in The Today Show, PBS, NPR, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Podchaser, Ordinary Freaks, and more.
