Patrick Vernon

Saturday 12 July 2025- Surviving Slavery Event by UNIFY Network

Patrick Vernon OBE will be one of the featured speakers at a powerful upcoming event exploring Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS), held as part of the 30th anniversary commemorations of African Remembrance Day.

Grounded in the theory developed by Dr Joy DeGruy, PTSS: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing, the event will delve into the lasting effects of slavery and systemic racism on Black communities and how those effects continue to manifest today.

This gathering will bring together voices from across sectors to discuss trauma, healing, resilience, and well-being in the face of historical injustice.

About the Event:
The event is designed to support community learning and transformation through open dialogue, cultural reflection, and a shared commitment to emotional and collective healing.

Event Highlights Include:

• An exploration of multigenerational trauma

• Practical tools for promoting self-love and emotional resilience

• Reflections on systemic inequality and paths toward justice

• Intersectional perspectives on race, culture, and mental health

About the Speakers:

Patrick Vernon OBE:
Patrick is Chair of Birmingham and Solihull NHS ICB and Independent, Chair of Walsall Together Health Partnership Board and Honorary Professor for Community leadership and heritage at Wolverhampton University. He was recently appointed Pro Chancellor at Wolverhampton University. Patrick is a sought-after broadcaster, public speaker, EDI adviser and writes blogs and articles for the national and international media on healthcare, cultural heritage and race.

Patrick led the campaign for a national Windrush Day since 2013 and helping to expose the Windrush Scandal in 2018 in one of the first growing online petitions calling for an amnesty for the Windrush Generation. In 2020 Patrick was selected by British Vogue as of Britain’s top twenty campaigners and since he has been included in the Powerlist list of 100 influential Black People in Britain. In 2020 Patrick co-authored 100 Great Black Britons based on his campaign. In 2024 he his latest coauthored book on Black Grief and healing. Patrick is a member of Church Commissioners oversight group on reparations.

Angela Haynes:
Angela Haynes has taught in SOAS Department of Development Studies since 2018. She currently teaches on the online Humanitarian MSc programme and is a Senior Teaching Fellow on Migration, as well as a coordinator of SOAS’s Ebony Initiative Writing and Presentation Space for Black scholars. She teaches ‘Afropean: African Diaspora Studies in Europe and Black London’ courses for Syracuse University’s London Programme.

Dawn Estefan:
Dawn is a psychotherapist and writer who is best known for her activism around Black women and mental health. Psychoanalytically trained, with a clinical expertise in trauma, she has a special interest in race, culture, and spirituality and the complex role that they play in maintaining mental health. Dawn uses theory and storytelling to help her clients make better sense of their lives and the world. Much of her work is based on democratising self-care and the importance of understanding cultural nuance and intersectional identities when navigating wellness. Dawn has recently co-authored Black Women Trauma and Therapy; her chapter “Sharing Breath” is an insight into the importance of the personal narrative in Black Womens Healing.

About UNIFY Network:
UNIFY is a collective formed by people of colour working in the social housing sector to ensure that diverse voices are heard and represented. Established in 2016 by staff network groups from organisations such as Clarion, Notting Hill, Peabody, Genesis, and L&Q, UNIFY was created to address the under-representation of ethnically diverse staff. Since then, it has grown into a volunteer-led movement focused on cultural celebration, raising awareness of systemic barriers, and advocating for equity across the sector.

Event Details:
🗓 Date: Sunday, 22 June 2025
🕑 Time: Doors open at 1:45 PM | Event starts at 2:00 PM
📍 Location: Museum of London Docklands, West India Quay, London, GB, E14 4AL

Book your Tickets Here