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Dark and Tender: Breaking Barriers to Embrace Closeness
July 22 @ 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM CDT
Dark and Tender: Breaking Barriers to Embrace Closeness with Aaron Johnson
Tuesday July 22, 2025
- Pacific time: 10am-12pm
- Mountain time: 11am-1pm
- Central time: 12pm-2pm
- Eastern time: 1pm-3pm
View your local time here.
This event is a part of the Liberation Learning Series which runs bi-weekly on Tuesdays from June 10 to September 30, 2025.
Join us for an experiential workshop, including song and writing, as we explore the practices introduced by The Chronically UnderTouched (CUT) Project in the short film Dark and Tender, to dismantle the “Black Brute” archetype and barriers for platonic closeness across races.
About the event
Aaron Johnson’s powerful short film “Dark and Tender” follows ten Black men on a transformative retreat with the Chronically UnderTouched (CUT) Project outside Seattle, WA. The men seek to reclaim platonic intimacy and tenderness through close encounters with nature and depictions of gentle Black masculinity, restoring the vital aspect of touch by replacing violence and rough play with care, connection, and intimacy.
In this workshop, Aaron will introduce the concept of the Black Brute archetype with opportunities for exploring how it appears in the collective unconscious and within community. We will identify the barriers for platonic intimacy and touch within the Black masculine experience and across races. Through writing, song, and open discussion, we will discover how communities can create a sense of belonging through intimacy for People of the Global Majority.
In this session, you’ll learn about:
- Being aware of what it takes to be in intimate cross-racial, close community
- Making space for People of the Global Majority (PGM) to be their full selves in village
- What steps community can practice to be available for tender PGM diversity
About your presenter
Aaron Johnson
Aaron Johnson (he/him) is a public speaker, facilitator, and touch activist, fostering environments where Black-bodied individuals can express their full selves. As a founder of Holistic Resistance, Grief to Action, and The Chronically UnderTouched (CUT) Project, Aaron takes the time to hold the stories of Black people around homophobia, transphobia, and internalized racism. Aaron’s journey began, as it does for many Black men, with lack of loving and platonic touch. Now, Aaron assists other Black men in developing holistic touch practices to move from a Chronically UnderTouched state into touch balance. Aaron aims to create spaces for Black people and People of the Global Majority (PGM/BIPOC) to connect with each other and the earth. He and his team are establishing retreats and workshops on Black-tended land in the Mojave Desert and beyond to promote emotional and physical tenderness, platonic connection, and singing, which enhances the healing process for those overlooked by mainstream society.
Location
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The Online Event Experience
Live Zoom Sessions
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Affordable and Accessible
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Watch the Recording
You’ll receive the recording of your event to view for 60 days. So don’t worry if you can’t attend a live session. Watch or listen whenever it is convenient for you. Transcripts available upon request.
Registration
