The Kindred Collective for Healing and Liberatory Traditions (formerly known as The Healing Space) at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education will present Flourish & Flow: A Black Joy Beach Party - a free, intergenerational celebration of Black wellness, cultural connection, and collective care. The event will take place on Sunday, October 26, from 1 pm to sunset at Goleta Beach Area A, and is open to all who come with respect and solidarity.

Kindred is partnering with  NAACP Santa Maria/Lompoc to host Flourish & Flow, which responds to community calls for affirming, joy-centered spaces that support healing, relationship-building, and rest. Attendees will be invited to engage in a range of wellness activities including art therapy, yoga, meditation, a pier walk, light refreshments, and other food for purchase from local Black-owned business offering flavors that honor Black and African culinary traditions.

Rooted in a model of sustainable, liberatory healing, the event is designed to combat racial isolation, strengthen intergenerational networks of care, and bridge UCSB with Black communities across Santa Barbara County.

Nolan Krueger, Assistant Professor of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology (CCSP)), is leading the event in collaboration with graduate and undergraduate students:

“All are welcome who come with respect and solidarity. We invite the wider community to witness, uplift, and help create a space that centers joy, honors grief, but refuses despair. This gathering is part of something larger. Together, we’re creating a foundation for healing and care.”

For more information, contact Nolan Krueger at ntkrueger@ucsb.edu.