This founder's story just ain't that deep ...
lolololol!
In 2007, no-titles-yet candi dugas needed a legal structure for her freelancing; so, she set up an LLC. Soon thereafter she wrote her first book, and became more active with her scriptwriting. Oh, and along the way completed her doctorate and was ordained. In short, candi realized that all these threads of her artistry + activism needed more form and structure.
Today's iteration of what we call ourselves is the candi dugas collective (cdc). We are the only collective creating, healing, and building for full (uncompromised) freed•dom for Black people.
As a Black-wellness-centered, arts-first social impact enterprise, we understand that our work builds lasting liberation for ALL by beginning with creativity to heal, by being rooted in essences beyond ourselves, and by insisting on sustainable (protected) social impact.
While we continue to be all about the strategy, we're currently being more intentional about our fictional storytelling - understanding that narratives are the way that truth metabolizes thru dr candi. (You'll understand it better when she tells you a story! {well, not necessarily directly, but definitely deeply ...😉}) That's a core reason why we created a primary presence on Substack with "when the Bough Breaks."
cdc's three pillars for our work are create, heal, and build - and, of course 😉, there's a method to each one:
The dugas Method of Creating - When dr candi creates, she centers relational logic over linear instruction, allowing meaning to accumulate rather than be forced. This centering allows meaning to more broadly relevant/resonant. She shapes stories first thru intuition, then refines with intention - honoring rhythm, resonance, and lived truth. The result from the collective becomes work that moves like a river: coherent, layered, and deeply human.
The dugas Method of Healing - We understand + treat healing as both individual + collective - rooted in context + culture, and never in pathology. Our method is rooted in storytelling, justice, and faith/belief - integrative pathways to restore balance + coherence where harm has fragmented/fractured. Healing here is not about fixing; it's about remembering, re-membering, and returning to wholeness.
The dugas Method of Building - Building means that we prioritize sustainability (protection), ethics, and inheritance. We're always thinking beyond today, beyond this event. We're interested in developing structures + practices that protect bodies of work that can hold people across time. What has constant rebuilding cost us??? When we build, it's about futuristic/descendant stewardship, understanding that nothing is just for us. We tend what we create so that it can be shared, and then passed on.
Learn more about the candi dugas collective:
Learn more about rev dr candi dugas: