What to know
- The Black Women’s Institute for Health (BWIH), a Toronto-based charity focused on improving health outcomes for Black women and girls, received a $6,500 donation following a WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest partnership.
- Under Armour pledged to donate $500 to BWIH for every three-pointer Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey made during the competition, resulting in 13 made shots and the final donation amount.
- BWIH founder and executive director Kearie Daniel says the recognition is significant for Black-led organizations, which she says receive less than one per cent of available funding in Canada.
- The organization is using the moment to highlight its broader mission of addressing systemic barriers in healthcare through advocacy, research and community-based programming.
- BWIH’s Voices Unheard report surveyed nearly 2,000 Black women, girls and gender-diverse people about their experiences across healthcare, mental wellness, employment and education.
- The report found 42 per cent of respondents delayed or avoided seeking medical care due to fears of discrimination, while 66 per cent felt dismissed when accessing mental health care.
- Daniel says the partnership also provides representation and inspiration for young Black girls participating in BWIH programming, who see WNBA athletes as role models advocating for change on and off the court.
When Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey stepped onto the court for the WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest in Chicago this weekend, every three-pointer she made carried a purpose beyond basketball.
Ahead of the competition, which took over Chicago for three days of women’s basketball spanning July 23-25, Under Armour pledged to donate $500 to the Black Women’s Institute for Health (BWIH), a Toronto-based charity, for every three-pointer the Toronto Tempo’s Marina Mabrey made. By the end of the contest, the veteran guard had sunk 13 shots, raising $6,500 for the Toronto-based organization.
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“A lot of this league is made up of Black women. And I listen, and I’m aware, and I hear a lot of things that go on, and I think that they do not have the same access to healthcare that we have, and it’s not fair,” Mabrey told TSN reporter Chelsea Leite.
Kearie Daniel, founder and executive director of the Black Women’s Institute for Health, tells Now Toronto that the news was almost too good to believe.
“My first thought was that it was fake,” Daniel said on Monday, adding that Black-led organizations in Canada rarely receive this kind of recognition or financial support.
Daniel explained Black-led organizations in Canada, such as hers, receive less than one per cent of available funding, making partnerships like this especially meaningful.
Beyond the monetary donation, Daniel said the partnership shines a spotlight on the organization’s mission to improve health outcomes for Black women and girls across Canada.
Black Women’s Institute for Health
BWIH is a national organization dedicated to transforming the conditions that harm Black women and girls across every social determinant of health across Canada. The organization’s three pillars include systemic change, advocacy, and liberation through knowledge and care. They aim to drive equity and build power through research, policy, and community-rooted programming.
BWIH recently published Voices Unheard, a report that compiles findings of a groundbreaking survey that collected data from almost 2,000 Black women, girls, and gender-diverse people. The project looked at the participants’ lived experiences across the social determinants of health, including everything from accessing healthcare to navigating mental wellness, employment, and education.
The report outlines that while healthcare is a fundamental right that should serve all people with dignity, respect, and effectiveness, for Black women, girls, and gender non-conforming people in Canada, accessing quality care often means navigating systems that don’t grasp their needs. Findings include that 42 per cent of Black women surveyed had delayed or avoided seeking medical care because they feared discrimination.
“We know how important early intervention is, and we know how important prevention is,” Daniel explained. “If we have almost half of Black women saying, ‘You know what, I’m not going to go to the doctor because I’m afraid they’re not going to treat me well,’ that’s why we have poor outcomes, right?”
Additionally, Voices Unheard findings show that 66 per cent of respondents felt dismissed when accessing mental health care. More than one in four respondents reported experiencing thoughts of self-harm.
“That’s nearly seven times higher than the national average. That to me is a crisis,” Daniel shared.
She explained that they were inundated by stories of pain, with many Black women and girls saying that when they go into hospital or when they’re seeking care, they cannot get adequate pain management.
“They’re being told that they’re being accused of drug seeking. They’re being kind of dehumanized, and they’re not actually getting the adequate pain relief that they need.”
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These are just some of the issues that BWIH seeks to address.
Marina Mabrey as a role model
Daniel said the support from Mabrey has already sparked excitement among staff and the young people participating in the organization’s summer programming, many of whom look up to the league’s players.
“The WNBA athletes are already fighting for pay equity and using their platforms to give back,” she said, adding that the partnership offers both practical support and inspiration for the next generation of Black girls. She hopes the relationship with Mabrey and Under Armour is just the beginning of a longer-term partnership.
While Mabrey didn’t leave All-Star Weekend with the three-point crown, Daniel said the impact of her performance will be felt well beyond the basketball court.
“I think for the girls in our program who have this opportunity to look up to this amazing athlete, it’s been a wonderful few days for them… It’s just a lot of excitement.”
