Decolonizing Conversations About Death & Suicide

In this training, we seek to hold a space where we can talk about death and suicide in ways that highlight the complex and nuanced experiences of BIPOC community members. Our objectives for this training include:

• Unpacking the ways in which colonization and white supremacy impact our perspectives on death and suicide
• Practicing empathy for ourselves and others who have been impacted by death, grief, and/or loss
• Practicing conversations about death and suicide
• Identifying barriers and access to services
• Exploring and sharing grief practices

Please note:

This training space, facilitated by BIPOC community members, is exclusively for BIPOC community members. This will be in-person at the Richard Kemp Center.

This training is for people who live and/or work in Vermont ONLY.

This training is a 5-hour session. We will take a 1- hour lunch break. (lunch will be provided)

This training is free to participants and made possible through the Center for Health and Learning from funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Venue Information:

The Richard Kemp Center- 372 N Winooski Ave, Burlington, VT 05401

Parking Information:

Limited parking on site. There is free street parking on both sides of the building.

Facilitator Bios:

Alexander Ferguson (he/him)

Alexander is a father, educator, and advocate. He has worked for Pathways Vermont since 2013. Previous positions at Pathways include serving as the Team Lead at the Pathways Community Center & Team Lead of Pathways Support Line. Alexander is currently a Training Specialist working within Vermont's Peer Workforce Development Initiative and Pathways Vermont’s Training Institute. He develops and facilitates various trainings, including Intentional Peer Support, Harm Reduction, RelationshipFirst Approach to Extreme States, and Decolonizing Conversations About Death and Suicide. He also is the Board Chair of the Richard Kemp Center, which expands programs and services that support Black Vermonters’ wellness, preserve their culture, support their youth, and advance racial equity and justice. Alexander firmly believes housing and healthcare are basic human rights that should be equally guaranteed to all without bias or judgment.

Ali Dieng (he/him)

Ali is the Building Bright Futures Regional Manager supporting the Chittenden,Central Vermont and Franklin and Grand Isle regions. Ali is the founder and former Manager of the Burlington School District Parent University Program where he engaged parents, educators and community partners. Ali is committed to building more equitable and accessible systems and brings his expertise engaging diverse perspectives; especially those from different socio economic & cultural backgrounds. Ali is the co-founder of the Vermont New Americans Advisory Council VNAAC, an organization working to increase civic engagement and a sense of belonging among the New American population. Ali is a blogger, storyteller and cultural competency trainer, he is a third time elected Burlington City Councilor and the chair of the Racial Equity Inclusion and Belonging Committee REIB for the City of Burlington. He resides in Burlington with his wife, Angela, and their two daughters.

Host or Publisher Pathways Vermont & Peer Workforce Development Initiative