Kweku’s Korner
By Dr. Lia A. Knox
PhD, LPC Co-Founder, Black Space HQ
Founder & CEO, Knox Behavioral Health Solutions
Lia A. Knox, Ph.D., MS., LPC.
In a world where silence often surrounds our pain, Black Space HQ exists to shift that narrative. As a mental wellness expert, licensed professional counselor, and proud co-founder of this Milwaukee-based mental wellness movement, I’ve seen firsthand how healing happens when Black communities are met with intentionality, affirmation, and space to simply breathe.
Mental wellness has long been a taboo topic in our neighborhoods. But grief, anxiety, and depression don’t skip over us. They show up at our kitchen tables, in our workplaces, and during the quiet moments we carry alone. For Black men, the burden of emotional suppression has created generations of unspoken trauma. In fact, Black men are nearly 20% more likely to experience serious psychological distress compared to white men—but are far less likely to receive care.
For Black LGBTQ+ individuals, the intersection of racial and sexual identity brings double invisibility. National data shows that more than 80% of Black LGBTQ+ youth report discrimination based on race or ethnicity—on top of gender or sexuality challenges. And when grief touches our community, it cuts deep; studies show that Black Americans experience multiple losses earlier and more frequently than any other group.
Black Space HQ was created out of these truths. We are not a clinic—we are a movement.
We build spaces that feel like us, sound like us, and honor who we are. We host grief circles for Black men navigating silent heartbreak. We offer wellness spaces where Black LGBTQ+ individuals are celebrated, not merely tolerated. We partner with Black- and Brown-owned businesses because financial wellness is inseparable from mental wellness.
Healing doesn’t have to happen seated in a chair. Through culinary therapy, dance and movement therapy, art and floral therapy, yoga, and fitness therapy, we bring life, joy, and creativity back into the healing process.
In our city of Milwaukee—a place rich with resilience and promise—Black Space HQ is shifting what healing looks like. It can happen while cooking a meal, moving to music, or planting something that blooms.
You may not hear the word “therapy” at Sunday dinner, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t needed. When your nephew is grieving, when your cousin is navigating both their identity and their next move, or when you are tired of carrying it all—we want you to know: that healing has a seat for you.
To learn more, connect, or bring Black Space HQ to your workplace, school, or event, visit www.blackspacehq.com or follow us @blackspacehq on Instagram and Black Space MKE on Facebook.
Together, we can build a city where Black healing isn’t whispered—it’s welcomed.
Dr. Lia A. Knox is a licensed professional counselor, award-winning mental wellness expert, and co-founder of Black Space HQ. She specializes in culturally responsive care, organizational health, and creating spaces where Black communities thrive.