Aaron Johnson- “Dark and Tender.”

Aaron Johnson is a public speaker, facilitator, and touch activist who practices closeness as a way to break down barriers between people. His Ted Talk Chronically Under Touched- “Why I waited 12 months to get a hug, speaks to the power of touch and how it correlates with our Mental Health, history, and identity. Aaron is the co-founder of both Holistic Resistance and Grief to Action, He takes the time to hold the stories of Black people around homophobia, transphobia, internalized racism, and those that are Chronically UnderTouched. Today we discuss Aarons’  short film "Dark and Tender" which follows ten Black men on a transformative retreat with the Chronically UnderTouched (CUT) Project outside Seattle, Washington. 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. Can I Live.