How Ubuntu Principles Serve as the Guiding Light for a Black Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support Team

March 28, 2025

It is often said that Black women represent the 'canary in the coal mine' of society, as they are frequently the first to experience or highlight societal issues, acting as early warning signs of broader societal problems. Their experience of income inequality reflects deeper structural issues within a country's economy, while their overrepresentation in the carceral system points to failures in the justice system. Black women are also disproportionately impacted by health issues, including complications during childbirth, highlighting the inequities within healthcare systems.

Kristy Anthony, Coordinator of the Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support for Black Canadian Families program at Families Matter in Calgary, Alberta,, and her Peer Support team of Black mothers with lived experience are challenging the status quo in response to these systemic failures. Having experienced a traumatic postpartum medical emergency, postpartum anxiety, depression, and PTSD firsthand, Kristy recognized that conventional healthcare had failed her. She turned to non-Western approaches to healing and now helps African, Caribbean, and Black mothers. Perinatal care, spanning the period from pregnancy through the first year after birth, became her focus as she sought to empower mothers who are often overlooked by mainstream healthcare systems.

Kristy and her team’s approach to Peer Support is grounded in the African Ubuntu philosophy, which emphasizes interconnectedness and mutual care. Through this lens, they encourage mothers to reclaim their collective power, moving away from the isolation imposed by individualistic Western models. Social dance, an important practice in her work, allows participants to release trauma stored in their bodies, creating a space for mind, body, and soul to reconnect. This communal healing fosters a profound sense of belonging, which they believe is essential for survival.

The communal aspect of the team’s work draws directly from the African concept of Ubuntu, which asserts that "I am because we are." It prioritizes collective healing over individual suffering, creating a space for vulnerability, empathy, and emotional connection. In her program, participants are encouraged to share their stories and emotions, recognizing that healing is a shared journey.

Kristy also acknowledges that Black mothers often lack the communal support once provided by their communities. With many isolated and facing challenges such as postpartum anxiety and depression, as well as the compounded effects of implicit bias and systemic racism within healthcare, the Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support for Black Canadian Families provides the support they desperately need.

Kristy’s philosophy integrates both cognitive therapy and somatic healing. While cognitive therapy is essential, it often neglects the body’s story. Her team believes in addressing both the mind and the body, using somatic techniques to release trauma and achieve a spiritual awakening. This approach creates a mind-body unity, aligning with the Ubuntu principle of collective well-being, where individual healing is inseparable from the health of the community.

This vision extends beyond trauma-informed care, advocating for healing-centered care, which emphasizes not only individual recovery but the wellness of the community as a whole. In this model, the healing of one person ripples out to benefit others, fostering a collective, interconnected support system.

Kristy’s own experiences have profoundly shaped her approach to healing. Growing up in a Caribbean Black family, mental illness was seldom discussed. There was a pervasive belief that it "didn’t apply to us," which left her unprepared when she faced her own mental health struggles. Her fears of ostracization, child services involvement, and financial instability deepened her isolation. This gap in support led her to reassess the healthcare system and challenge its shortcomings.

Her journey led her back to communal practices rooted in movement, a vital part of her cultural heritage. Through her work, Kristy empowers African, Caribbean, and Black mothers by fostering spaces where vulnerability is embraced, and collective healing occurs. She creates environments where mothers can reclaim their power, access safe spaces, and find the support they need.

Kristy’s work is also shaped by cultural humility. Recognizing that the mothers she works with are the experts of their own experiences, she embraces a model where they are at the center, rather than being dictated to by healthcare providers. This philosophy encourages lifelong learning, self-reflection, and accountability, ensuring that healing is not just about individual recovery, but about the collective well-being of the community.

Through Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support for Black Canadian Families at Families Matter, Kristy and the Peer Support team of Black mothers with lived experience exemplify how decolonized, community-centered healing can transform the narrative for Black mothers. By challenging systemic barriers, empowering communities, and integrating cultural practices, the team is helping to foster a new approach to healing—one that supports both individual and collective well-being. Black mothers, through this model, can find the space and support they need to heal together.