Bee Quammie

What if we didn’t need to be so resilient? Bee Quammie takes a new approach to addressing resilience by outlining the ongoing need to do the work for each other so that there are fewer obstacles to face that require such perseverance.

While it’s meaningful to celebrate the resilience of individuals, we must also push for change in the systems and norms that have made resilience a necessity for many.

For those who face oppression in our society, the burden is not who we are – the burden is living under that oppression. Too often we internalize ideas of deficiency, because of who we are and what we’ve been through, leading to mental health issues and a stunting of societal change.  

With this critical lens on resilience, we can direct this energy outwards and be empowered by our ability to take action to change things for ourselves and the world at large.

Key takeaways from this presentation include:

Acknowledge the necessity and importance of building resilience

Recognize how resilience links with oppression

Develop a critical lens on resilience for personal and society gain

As a Black Canadian woman with parents who immigrated from Jamaica in the 80s, ‘diversity’ isn’t just a hot keyword for Bee. From speaking at events centering on Black women and natural hair acceptance, to highlighting little-known facts about Canada’s history, to providing authentic context to the impact that Caribbean people have made in Canada and in pop culture, Bee has her finger on the pulse of the diversity discussion. With change being seen everywhere from media to corporate industries, now is the time to have real conversations so that we can move forward and be better than ever.

How do we navigate and stay aware of mental health and wellness while eliminating stigma? For Bee, this topic is personal. As someone who has been transparent about her experiences with depression, anxiety, and postpartum depression, Bee has combatted stigma with openness, encouraging others to do the same.

The word “feminism” can elicit a range of emotions in response. For Bee, one of the best ways to learn and speak about feminism and intersectionality is through pop culture. What does Beyonce add to the feminism discussion? How can we use film to critique and analyze ableism, racism, and sexism? Where are we seeing positive change, and where is there room for improvement? Through a variety of presentation styles, Bee helps to bring these discussions into the light.