Thought went from textual content messages to supporting one another in actual life
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Identify
Eden Belle O’Neill
Hometown
Vancouver, British Columbia.
Age
17
Declare to fame
What number of of you may relate to this?
You could have this superior concept in considered one of your group chats with pals.
Everyone seems to be on board, however getting that plan into motion looks like an unimaginable activity.
Effectively, you may take inspiration from 17-year-old Eden Belle O’Neill.
After assembly younger, Black teenagers like herself at a convention in British Columbia in 2023, a gaggle chat was began.
The chat was titled Black Queens.
It was a spot the place the women might speak about their successes or their struggles, comparable to coping with their psychological well being.
The group didn’t need the dialog to finish or to only keep within the texting thread.
So Eden, seeing the necessity for a protected place for sisterhood, took the plans from texting to actuality.
In 2023, she began the Black Queen Collective.
The collective has hosted in-person, bimonthly meetups for Black teen women to assemble and focus on points that have an effect on them, comparable to psychological well being and optimistic affirmation.
“By empowering others, it form of empowers myself and pushes me to do extra,” Eden informed CBC Children Information.
What’s the collective all about?
Eden describes the Black Queen Collective as a sisterhood with focus.
Throughout common hangouts and occasions, the collective shines a lightweight on points going through Black teen women.
Some members of the Black Queen Collective collectively on the launch occasion in 2023. (Picture credit score: black_queen_collective/Instagram)
Eden and her group of pals and volunteers have hosted workshops on psychological well being with Black therapists.
They study issues like setting boundaries as younger girls.
The group has additionally gathered to have skating occasions or take journeys to native artwork galleries to see Black artists.
It’s supposed as a shared, free expertise for all who attend.
Because of a grant Eden obtained in 2023, she’s capable of pay visitors like skilled therapists for his or her time.
Eden’s impression
Each Alex Anokwuru, 17, and Raniya Reebye, 18, have attended the collective’s occasions.
After being impressed by Eden, they’ve even volunteered to assist out.
When interviewed by CBC Children Information, Alex and Raniya spoke of how welcoming the occasions have been up to now.
“Throughout [Eden’s] panel discussions, the women there appear to only open up and speak about private issues or private emotions,” mentioned Raniya.
“It exhibits that the neighborhood she’s fostered is tremendous, tremendous understanding and cozy,” mentioned Raniya.
The Black Queen Collective has a deck full of affirmation playing cards for members. A few of the playing cards learn: ‘I’m pleased with my heritage’ and ‘I’m full of confidence’ and ‘I radiate Black pleasure.’ (Picture submitted by Eden-Belle O’Neill)
Alex mentioned the truth that Eden is a teen woman operating these occasions makes them really feel extra relatable to everybody.
The Black Queen Collective “made me really feel seen,” mentioned Alex.
Raniya mentioned that by attending Eden’s occasions, she has turn into extra in contact together with her feelings.
Highlighting an occasion the place 5 Black therapists got here to speak to the teenager women within the collective, Raniya mentioned listening to her friends speak about feelings so overtly was one thing she’d by no means skilled.
“You understand that a number of belongings you really feel like are your issues are literally everybody’s issues,” she mentioned.
“If you hear these women like speaking so authentically … you get to take a seat in a circle with these random folks you have by no means met and impulsively you are speaking about your feelings.”
Raniya mentioned it’s helped her really feel extra assured in speaking about how she feels.
From conferences to awards
Eden was invited to attend the Nationwide Black Canadians Summit in Montreal, Quebec, in early February.
There, in a speech to attendees, she highlighted her work for psychological well being help for Black teen women.
Particularly, Eden spoke about her expertise in planning workshops centred round supportive areas for women to study from Black feminine therapists.
Eden Belle O’Neill, second from proper, speaks on the Nationwide Black Canadians Summit in Montreal, Quebec, in February about her work on the Black Queen Collective. (Picture submitted by Eden Belle O’Neill)
By her onerous work, Eden was additionally the recipient of the Michaëlle Jean Basis’s Energy of Youth microgrant in October 2023.
Together with her profitable software, the Black Queen Collective was awarded $5,000 to proceed its work for Black teen women in Canada.
Former governor basic of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, proper, stands with Eden Belle O’Neill on the Nationwide Black Canadians Summit in Montreal earlier this month. (Picture submitted by Eden Bell O’Neill)
In an interview with CBC Children Information, Benazir Tom Erdimi, particular tasks officer with the Michaëlle Jean Basis, mentioned Eden’s drive and keenness for serving to others are superb to see.
“The Black Queen Collective is so necessary as a result of [Eden] noticed an issue and instantly went into answer mode and he or she determined to launch that nonprofit to facilitate occasions,” Tom Erdimi mentioned.
Eden’s recommendation for teenagers like her
As Eden prepares for college and hopefully regulation faculty, she plans to maintain the Black Queen Collective going, no matter the place she goes subsequent.
“I’ll take Black Queen Collective with me. It’s a sisterhood and help system that may be transported wherever.”
As for her recommendation for different youth eager to make an impression?
She says to really feel the worry of perhaps not being adequate and to do it anyway.
“When you’ve got even one thought that it’ll impression even one particular person, simply go forward and do it.”
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TOP IMAGE CREDIT: Picture submitted by Eden-Belle O’Neill, graphic design by Philip Road/CBC
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