Black wellness organizations are unified communities that listen to, care for, advocate for, and help the least-resourced among Black people get the necessary care to live the best holistic and fulfilling lives possible.
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In an era where the Black community continues to face unprecedented challenges and systemic racial disparities, racism, and stereotypes, we must look out for each other to survive and thrive. Black wellness organizations help us do that.
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Why Black Wellness Organizations Are Necessary
Black wellness organizations seek to improve the health of African Americans by providing trusted information, resources, community, and programs. These equip you to better navigate the healthcare system, advocate for yourself, and receive improved care, regardless of insurance or circumstances.
In this mental health awareness month, Spotcovery highlights 10 Black wellness organizations impacting the Black community.
10 Black Wellness Organizations You Should Know
1. Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective
The Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective, or BEAM, is a dynamic group of people committed to promoting emotional and mental wellness health in the Black community.
The community has a diverse membership, from advocates to psychologists, therapists to lawyers, and religious leaders to teachers. It introduces new ways to approach mental health and healing, like crafting a toolbox that includes many enjoyable activities to address reform and reproductive justice issues.
Founded in 2017 in Los Angeles, the collective community provides a Black Virtual Therapist Directory for mental health services, a valuable resource for those in underserved areas. This project was much appreciated during the height of COVID-19.
The Black Wellness Organization also provides professional development and training for activists, grassroots movements, and others on mental health issues, emotional intelligence in leadership, unconscious bias, toxic elements of Black masculinity, and mental health literacy, among other topics.
BEAM is all about integrating healthy wellness systems into modern Black life while aiming for a “world with no barriers to Black healing” through education, training, advocacy, and even the creative arts!
2. Therapy for Black Men
Therapy for Black Men is an organization that offers mental health resources for Black men, including therapy, coaching, and information. The articles chronicle the unique challenges of Black men and are published by experts who are specially equipped to work with men in the Black community.
Therapy for Black Men aims to break the stereotype that seeking assistance is a sign of weakness and avails a multiculturally-competent network of therapists and coaches.
You can search for a coach or black therapist based on your location and area of expertise using the Therapy for Black Men directory, which is available online.
Due to the group’s partnerships with other organizations, Therapy for Black Men can assist you in finding funding for your therapy.
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3. The Trevor Project
Founded in 1998, The Trevor Project is considered the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
Part of their mission as a crisis counseling organization is to support and uplift the mental health of people of color queer youth across the United States.
4. African American Wellness Project (AAWP)
The African-American Wellness Project is a program primarily concerned with enhancing the health of the Black community. One of its goals is to “direct resources, including funding, services, and information, towards empowering the African-American community to improve health outcomes and promote wellness.”
The organization focuses on the importance of lifestyle and health, prevention, screening, and early detection.
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5. Black Mental Health Alliance
The Black Mental Health Alliance works to create, support, and sponsor reputable educational forums, training programs, and referral services that are culturally appropriate and support the health and well-being of Black people and their communities.
They accomplish this by holding educational workshops and forums and connecting Black licensed mental health clinicians with potential clients through their referral database.
They also focus on improving cultural awareness among black Americans therapists and clinicians.
6. Therapy For Black Girls
A welcoming space, Therapy for Black Girls introduces you to mental health topics in a way that’s educational and relevant for Black women. The founder, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, hosts a podcast by the same name. In addition to improving wellness, both entities offer innovative ways to learn about mental health.
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7. The Loveland Foundation
As part of its mission to support communities of color in creative and powerful ways, the Loveland Foundation provides nationwide assistance for Black women and girls.
The nonprofit organization was founded in 2018 in partnership with National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color, Talkspace, Open Path Collective, and Therapy for Black Girls. The partnership helps connect Black women to mental health professionals.
8. Black Women’s Health Imperative
At a time when women continue to face gender disparities in accessing health care, the Black Women’s Health Imperative, founded in 1983, is dedicated to improving Black women’s and girls’ health and wellness.
In addition to advocating for affordable health care, mental health education, pre-diabetes education, advocacy and leadership programs for HIV prevention and treatment, and ending period shame, these initiatives target a broad spectrum of issues.
9. The Body: A Home for Love
Combining wellness, art, and storytelling, The Body: A Home for Love provides Black women with fresh, original ideas for overcoming sexual trauma.
As a member of The Body, you can access monthly yoga and meditation classes and a life coaching session. As an additional benefit, you can participate in the Body: A Home for Love membership program, which is funded by donations.
10. The Underbelly Yoga
A platform for yoga and wellness, Underbelly Yoga affirms those who are often neglected and underserved in the wellness industry. In particular, it is for Black women and people with plus-size bodies, those having obesity challenges.
Jessamyn Stanley, a yogi and the author of Every Body Yoga, founded and manages The Underbelly Yoga. Stanley is on a mission to demolish wellness industry stereotypes and create space for all bodies in yoga by offering inclusive yoga classes online.
Access to all yoga classes on the Underbelly app is free for two weeks, after which you must pay $10 monthly for a subscription. Stanley adds upcoming classes monthly to the video library, and you can take them whenever you want.
The Significance of Black Wellness Organizations
They Create a Safe Space
From mental health to body representation to safety, Black people experience wellness differently. The creation of wellness organizations by Black people for Black people is vital to addressing the nuances. This is done by creating places—whether online or in-person—where you can find safety, comfort, and community.
Black wellness organizations, among others, provide a place to relax, enjoy wellness, and heal without explaining or being mocked.
They Provide Access to Black Health Professionals
Only 1 in 3 Black adults in the U.S. who need mental health care receive it, often due to misdiagnosis, socioeconomic factors, and a lack of Black mental health professionals.
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The limited number of Black mental health professionals and the cost of mental health care make this issue daunting. The presence of Black wellness organizations, however, makes accessing mental health and Black health professionals easier.
They Create a Community of Like-Minded Individuals
Black wellness organizations create a community where you can meet people you relate to and speak freely without anyone looking down on you or your condition.
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