Category:

Health

CultureHealthLifestyle

“Just Thug it Out”: Mental Health in the Black Community

by Mariah Yonique Strawder & Julia Elizabeth Perry
written by Mariah Yonique Strawder & Julia Elizabeth Perry

Black adults are less likely to report mental illness than their non-Black counterparts, but are more likely to experience higher rates of severe conditions while also facing significant barriers to accessing culturally responsive care. The way Black people talk about mental health and interact with the health care system is shaped by systemic disparities, historical trauma, and cultural stigmas. During Mental Health Awareness Month, Nommo hopes this article will create conversations surrounding the Black community’s perception and relationship with mental health while also bridging the gap the community faces in understanding the topic and accessing resources.  

Why so stigmatized?

Each year, more and more research is done on Black mental health, yet the statistics don’t paint the full picture. Since Black people are more likely not to seek help, the statistics found are not truly representative of how Black people feel. Due to the shame associated with reporting mental health struggles, Black people suffer in silence. They believe nobody else in the community is facing the same struggles, and if they are, they are able to cope and move on. This falsity is extremely harmful to our community, and although it is improving as more people speak up, more research is done, and more safe spaces are fostered, there is much more work to be done. 

A large factor that plays into much of the hesitation around seeking help is medical mistrust, a complex factor to solve due to the long history of brutality against Black bodies, minds, and souls. This mistrust is completely valid and should continue to be responded to with validation before anything else. However, it is vital that there are steps following this validation to heal some of the wounds of the violence that caused such mistrust. All medical professionals, nurses, doctors, therapists, psychiatrists, gynecologists, etc, need to be culturally educated and trained to be able to address Black patients with the care that we deserve. 

A secondary factor is the reason that many folks in our community avoid addressing their mental health struggles because of the burden of financial barriers that limit access to long-term help. This issue is extremely intimidating and can lead people to suppress their emotions and struggles to avoid having to deal with the monetary repercussions of healing. However, as time goes on, accessible, equitable resources continue to be created specifically for Black people who are ready to seek healing and relief. 

While it is important to call out the barriers, trauma, and stigmas that perpetuate negative perceptions of mental health, it is also very critical to note the responses Black people face when they share their experiences or try to seek help.

We have unfortunately seen many instances of Black people taking the strong step to ask for help, and being punished or even killed for it. One of the most public cases of this took place in 2024, when Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman with schizophrenia, called the police after reporting that she believed there was someone lurking outside of her home. Bodycam footage showed Deputy Sean Grayson and his partner arriving at Massey’s home and immediately handling the situation poorly. After Massey went to take a pot of boiling water off her stove, Grayson drew his gun and pointed it at her, and threatened to shoot her instead of de-escalating the situation. After shooting Massey, Grayson did not make any attempt to provide medical attention to Massey and even discouraged his partner from getting a medical kit to tend to her. From the beginning of the 36 minutes that Grayson was at Massey’s home, he treated her as a threat that he needed to eliminate, rather than a person whom he had a responsibility to keep safe.

Several Black athletes, actors, artists, and government officials have also come forward and shared their experiences with mental health. One of the most vocal, despite receiving great backlash, has been star tennis player Naomi Osaka. Within the topic of mental health, Osaka has specifically been public in discussing her anxiety and depression perpetuated by post-match media appearances, where reporters have often been cruel and unfair to her. Osaka shocked the sports community in 2021 when she withdrew from the French Open in order to sustain her mental health. Instances of athletes publicly prioritizing their mental health as much as their physical health had been rare, and Osaka certainly received a great amount of scrutiny for doing so. While she did get a lot of negative attention after withdrawing, she also enabled other athletes, specifically Black female athletes, to share their experiences with managing their mental health. Osaka’s contributions to the destigmatization of mental health in the Black community are undeniable, and she continues to serve as an advocate for rest and healthy mental health practices.

Another recent example of a well-known member of the Black community struggling with mental health is Stephen (tWitch) Boss, resident DJ and co-executive producer for the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Stephan sadly took his life in 2022, and many were shocked to hear that he had committed suicide, mentioning the joyful energy that he brought to The Ellen Show. His death highlighted the tendency of Black men to feel the need to bury their emotions and put on a mask, rather than seeking help. His wife even shared that he had frequently talked to her about feeling immense pressure to keep up his positive personality even when he was battling internal struggles, especially after The Ellen Show began to fall apart and was eventually discontinued. Rather than approaching his death with compassion and empathy, many responded by calling him selfish for leaving behind a wife and three children. In doing so, people neglect to acknowledge the fact that conditions like depression and anxiety are illnesses, and need to be taken seriously as potential causes of death, just as other illnesses are.

Insight from an Expert

NOMMO had the honor of talking with Dr. Nicole Presley, Senior Executive Director of UCLA Student Resilience and Mental Health Services. Dr. Presley is a Psychologist in training and a licensed therapist. She received her B.A. in Psychology from UCLA, her Ed.M. from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern California. Dr. Presley worked on starting the RISE Center at UCLA and has worked at UCLA for over 20 years. When she began her job as a therapist, she used to see so many students who were blocked not because of intelligence, but because of trauma, anxiety, and depression. She loved helping students of color get out of their own way, resolve deep trauma issues, and be able to flourish. Black students are the healthiest in the family, but are dragged down by family dynamics and community issues. Dr. Presley believed these students needed somewhere to take a breath, and loved being able to provide that space for them. Given Dr. Presley’s background, we thought she could provide a great deal of insight into the Black community and its relationship with mental health.

What are common mental health struggles you see specific to Black students? 

Dr. Presley: Most students suffer from things like anxiety and depression. Within the Black community, and especially for Black students navigating predominantly white institutions, we face performance anxiety and imposter syndrome. Black students place expectations on themselves to do well, and feel shamed when others can see them struggling. There is a common misconception, especially among Black women, that if they are not drowning from their stress, they must not really be struggling, but that is not the case. Students think that if they can function academically, they forget their emotions, self-perception, self-esteem, and never learn about managing mental health or the literacy around mental health to be able to respond to natural boundaries. 

In what ways is mental health in the Black community BOTH a systemic and individual issue? 

Dr. Presley: Systemically, there is a long history regarding the Black community’s relationship to the healthcare system. From the pseudoscience that Black folk don’t feel pain, forcing our Black women and men to stay strong, along with the erasure of how slavery impacted physical and mental health, this is where the Black community gets a lot of medical mistrust. As Black health and well-being have not been taken seriously by white folk, the Black community has internalized that. Individually, people can do a lot to help their health and seek care. Akin to diabetes, some can do the right things and manage it, while others can do the right things and still pass away. Same thing with depression. However, it always goes back to the structural piece. Lots of things that contribute to the Black mental health problem are due to environmental factors, such as poor education, lack of outside spaces, food deserts, healthcare, working conditions, and the embedded racism in all of these systems. America looks at results instead of conditions. Individuals can do things to mitigate things, but it is like swimming upstream.

One of the many perceptions of mental health is that people don’t know what it is or how to deal with it.  What are the ways for the Black community to acquire help? What can be done to raise awareness on mental health & signs of struggle?

Dr. Presley: One of the major reasons they don’t seek help is that they talk themselves out of it. They think they don’t need help, they can manage it, that therapy is for white people, that they can’t tell my business to just anyone, and they are afraid of being alienated or judged. A major mental health education campaign is needed. We should also be seeking information from those with expertise and not from social media influencers because people have the right to get real help from people who know what they’re talking about. The Black community has such a poor understanding of the landscape, which requires education. We also need to understand that seeking help is not for everyone and looks different for everyone. It can look like seeking talk therapy, group therapy, or even turning to religion. Everyone has to find what works for them.

What does the quote “Your trauma is not your fault. It is your responsibility to heal” mean to you?

Dr. Presley: I would really like to emphasize that the trauma is not your fault, but healing matters and is important for lifting the burden of something you did not do. You are a person, and scabs of trauma develop over you, but healing is a journey necessary to becoming closer to yourself. Therapy helps you get closer to who you are under the scabs, meet yourself, who you are other than your trauma, and move past it while honoring yourself for what you went through. Scabs make your skin tougher but also prevent you from accessing yourself. Acknowledge it, grieve, and honor your traumatic response.

What resources do UCLA students have if they want to seek help?

Dr. Presley: UCLA offers a lot of support for students to get help. The RISE Center is somewhere students can go to take a breath. The RISE Center is located in the LuValle Commons Basement and is open from 9 AM to 6 PM on most days. Here, students can partake in workshops and come to drop-in hours with Wellbeing Coordinators. During the next academic year, RISE at Rieber will also be open on Mondays and Fridays from 11 AM – 4 PM. The CAPS Center is where students can go to get clinical support. Students with USHIP gain up to 12 sessions, while students without it can get up to 4. At CAPS, Black clinicians can also be requested. If students have questions, they can always call. If you have a question, call, or feel entitled to using your university student fees. UCSHIP is a platinum plan, which often doesn’t exist in the real world. Students deserve help; they’re entitled to it!

Black Psychology Society 

An initiative that was created to change the way Black students at UCLA perceive or take care of themselves was started through Black Psychology Society, founded by graduating senior and psychology student Ryen Clark. 

Clark’s motivation behind starting the Black Psychology Society stems from her father’s saying, “if you don’t see it, be it”. As she went through her time at UCLA, she noticed there was no club for Black psychology students. With help from Dr. Nicole Presley and the Director of Black Bruin Resource Center, Mike Brown, Clark was able to form the Black Bruin Mental Health and Wellness Initiative. Through this program, Clark tells Nommo, “I realized I wanted to create a long-lasting impact beyond the initiative itself.” The motivation to create the Black Psychology Society became more imperative when a Freshman at Black Welcome Week asked if there was a club for Black psychology students, and Clark had to say no. “That moment genuinely stayed with me. That’s when I knew it was time to form my team and get something started,” Clark tells Nommo.

Black Psychology Society was officially recognized as a UCLA Organization during Winter Quarter with the mission of creating “a space where Black students passionate about psychology can explore how the field intersects with Black mental wellness, culture, and community healing, while gaining tools for academic and professional growth in psychology-related fields.” Clark goes on to tell Nommo that the organization’s core goals “center around community wellness, professional development, education and awareness, and collaboration.” Clark’s favorite BPS events were the organization’s first general body meeting as well as presenting a workshop on mental health and wellness to high school students through the Afrikan Student Union’s Higher Education Conference. At the first BPS general body meeting said that, “After years of programming and advocating for Black student mental health and wellness, it was so beautiful to finally see it come to fruition in the form of students gathering together because they genuinely wanted community, conversation, and connection. It was one of those moments where I just looked around the room and thought, “Wow, this is real.””. Clark said that presenting at the Higher Education Conference was another favorite because the organization was able to educate students on “what burnout is, how to recognize it, and ways to prevent it…Sometimes students, especially Blackstudents, are taught how to achieve but not always how to rest, regulate, or care for themselves in the process. Being able to pour into them in that way was extremely special to me.”

For the future of the BPS, Clark hopes the organization will continue “creating spaces for access and networking opportunities that Black students may not always have readily available. Whether that is mentorship, graduate school preparation, panels, workshops, research opportunities, or simply being in rooms with professionals who look like us, I want students to leave BPS feeling equipped and inspired. Representation matters deeply, especially in mental health spaces. As someone graduating this year, one of my biggest hopes is to come back one day as an alumna and see the organization thriving in ways I never even imagined. I truly believe there are brilliant minds who will continue building upon what we started. That is one of the most beautiful parts of leadership to me: creating something that outlives you. I hope future leaders continue innovating, dreaming bigger, and reminding Black students that their voices, minds, and wellness matter both within psychology and beyond it.”

The Black Psychology Society is an organization with the vision of “empowering Black students through psychological education, community care, and career readiness by bridging the gap between theory, identity, and lived experience.” Through the organization’s events, such as community circles, application workshops, career panels, and hikes, students have been able to build community, foster professional development, and create a space where wellness is made a priority. Stay connected with the Black Psychology Society by visiting their page on Instagram @bpsucla.

Rest as Resistance 

When we think of rest, we might think of something as simple as taking a nap. However, rest is more than taking a nap. Rest is anything that connects your mind and body. Most importantly, it is a refusal to comply with the politics shaping the world today.

The Black community needs rest because we suffer from generational exhaustion, various forms of trauma, and just because we experience being Black in America. It is difficult to prioritize your well-being in a world that kills you more and more every day. From watching your people be brutalized and killed on screens, being funneled into the carceral system, to having your rights stripped away. Black folk may feel like resting was never an option. It’s important to recognize that this is exactly how the systems of white supremacy and capitalism want us to feel. 

When Black folk use rest as a tool for resistance, we challenge and reshape the, just thug it out stigma and Black people are superhuman archetypes. When we rest, we actively push back against the systems that only see Black bodies as a means for entertainment, production, and labor. When you resist the systems that tell us we are not doing enough and should be doing more, we carry on the dreams of our ancestors who wanted nothing more than rest. 

Please acknowledge when you are stressed, exhausted, or feeling anxious. Please know you are entitled to rest just like everyone else. In recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month, NOMMO challenges readers and the Black community to use rest as a tool for healing and liberation.

“The systems make us hard. Rest keeps us tender. There is power in our collective rest and care.” — The Nap Ministry

Conclusion

We acknowledge and validate that focusing on mental health can feel trivial when Black bodies, culture, and existence are being constantly attacked, and many of us are just trying to survive. However, we would like to affirm that through prioritizing mental health, our community can not only survive but thrive. While it often feels like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders and are being forced to heal from problems that we did not cause, we can begin to work through this by asking for help, speaking up, and destigmatizing the topic of mental health within our community. We would like to encourage the Black students and professionals in fields that research or work to treat mental health to continue to fight for our community. Your work does not go unnoticed, and we appreciate you greatly for taking up space in this field and advocating for Black health. For Black students interested in pursuing psychology or other related fields at UCLA, we encourage you to take advantage of the resources and networking opportunities provided by the Black Psychology Society. It is truly a unique space that not many other universities can say they have! For students who would like to understand themselves better, we encourage you to take advantage of the CAPS and Rise centers, which provide great resources for all students. Regardless of your condition, the opportunity to understand yourself and your emotions should be taken seriously and taken advantage of, especially as a young adult!

As we conclude this article, NOMMO affirms that Black mental health is just as important as everyone’s mental health. To our Black readers: 

Seeking help is a reflection of your strength and not your weakness.

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

It’s good to voice your feelings.

You are not broken or a burden.

It’s not all in your head; your feelings are valid, and you deserve to process them. 

You can rely on your community for emotional support.

Resources 

UCLA: 

  • Counseling and Psychological Services: Provides individual therapy, group therapy, wellness skills groups, and psychiatry services. Provides 24/7 consultation to concerned staff, faculty, anD students. (https://counseling.ucla.edu/)
  • Campus Assault Resources & Education: Provides support, consultation, advocacy for student survivors of sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. Provides trauma-informed yoga for student survivors. (https://careprogram.ucla.edu/)
  • UCLA Psychology Clinic: Provides low-fee individual and group psychotherapy (e.g., CBT group), as well as diagnostic assessments (https://www.psych.ucla.edu/centers-programs/clinic)
  • Collegiate Recovery Program: Provides individual support and weekly recovery meetings for students who are in recovery from substance use or other addictive behaviors (https://www.collegiaterecovery.ucla.edu/)

Broader Community:

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Black HistoryCampusCultureHealthLifestyle

Black Bruin Resource Center, Afrikan Womxn’s Collective, and UCLA Alphas host “Shop Talk” to cultivate community

by Mariah Yonique Strawder
written by Mariah Yonique Strawder

On May 19, 2026, the Black Bruin Resource Center, Afrikan Womxn’s Collective, and UCLA Alphas came together for the first “Shop Talk” event. This event brought the Black UCLA community together and engaged in meaningful conversations centered around the Black student experience. 

The shop stems from the Barbershop Talk series that is hosted every quarter by the Black Bruin Resource Center and the Alpha Phi Alpha chapter at UCLA. During these events, Black men at UCLA get together to build community, discuss the realities of being a Black man on campus, and get free haircuts.

The Black women on UCLA’s campus also sought the need to build community in a similar way. Inspired by the Alpha’s Barbershop Talk series, the Black Bruin Resource Center Afrikan Womxn’s Collective, and Afrikan Student Union came together to hold the first Beauty Shop Talk in March. The Beauty Shop Talk provided Black women on campus the space to come together and talk about challenges within the community, how Black women are treated on campus, and how Black women could support and uplift each other.

Amariah Scott, BBRC student staff, on the importance of events like Beauty Shop Talk:

Cultivating spaces for Black women is so important because many of us often navigate environments where we do not always feel seen, heard, or fully supported. I wanted to start Beauty Shop Talk to create a sense of community and a safe space where Black women could come together, be themselves, and feel valued. This event was intentionally held at the end of Black History Month and the beginning of Women’s History Month to celebrate and appreciate the Black women on our campus. Seeing that Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. had been hosting Barbershop Talk as a space for Black men to connect inspired me to create a similar experience for Black women. I reached out to the Afrikan Womxn’s Collective and Dr. Tunstall to help bring this vision to life. At this PWI, there are very few spaces dedicated specifically to Black women, despite the challenges we often face, including racism, colorism, sexism, and discrimination. Because of this, we need to build community, uplift one another, and have spaces where we can openly discuss our experiences and concerns. Beauty Shop Talk helped create that space by bringing nearly 50 Black women together to engage in meaningful conversations about beauty standards, our hair, support, and sisterhood. 

During the Beauty Shop event, the attendees discussed how urgent a community discussion event was between the Black women and men on campus. That’s when the BBRC, Afrikan Womxn’s Collective, and UCLA Alphas came together to host the first-ever Shop Talk Event. Shop Talk was a much-needed conversation for the Black Bruins on campus. Some of the major themes explored were mentorship, building community, and upholding tradition. 

Nommo talked more with Amariah Scott to gain more insight on the event, what could be approved, and goals for the Black community moving forward: 

Question 1. What did you think about the Shop Talk? How important did you think the conversation was?  

Amariah: Cultivating spaces for Black women and men to come together and discuss issues within the community is important because it creates opportunities for understanding, accountability, and unity. After hosting both Beauty Shop Talk and Barbershop Talk, there were many conversations about how we could bring these spaces together. We decided to host The Shop Talk event so Black men and women could openly discuss ways to better support one another and strengthen our community. When creating the discussion questions, we wanted to be intentional and ensure the conversations were honest, productive, and solution-oriented. While Black men and women may experience different struggles, it is important to acknowledge that we are all impacted by issues affecting the Black community. Having open conversations about where gaps in support exist helps us become more united.

Question 2. How could the event be improved? 

Amariah: Although I was very happy with the turnout, with nearly 80 RSVPs, I think one area where the event could be improved is encouraging participants to feel more comfortable being honest and open about the issues discussed. During the separate Beauty Shop Talk and Barbershop Talk events, people seemed more comfortable speaking within their respective spaces. However, during the first half of the Shop Talk event, there was some hesitation when it came to openly engaging with one another across genders. It took time and breakout groups to help break down some of those walls and create a more open environment for discussion. Once participants became more comfortable, the conversations became much more meaningful and productive. Although the discussions we had were impactful, I believe future events could go even deeper into the challenges our community faces.

Question 3. After this event, what do you hope for the Black Bruin community moving forward? What steps do we need to take to address the gap between mentorship, building community, and upholding traditions?

Amariah Scott, 3rd year: After this event, I hope the Black Bruin community continues creating more open, honest, and supportive spaces for one another. I hope students leave knowing they have a community they can rely on and that people continue reaching out to their accountability groups to check in, build relationships, and support one another beyond the event itself. This event was only the beginning. Real change happens when people continue these conversations in their everyday lives and make intentional efforts to connect with their peers one-on-one. I also hope people felt seen, heard, and encouraged through these discussions. I hope upperclassmen recognize the importance of reaching out to underclassmen to mentor and guide them, especially at a PWI where community and support systems are so important. I also hope Black men and women continue stepping up to support one another and work toward strengthening unity within the community. Traditions and community-building events are important because they create opportunities for connection across different class years and experiences. For example, after discussions about preserving the tradition of spicy uno, students organized a game night event where seniors would teach underclassmen how to play. Moments like that are important because they turn conversations and concerns into action. While Beauty Shop Talk, Barbershop Talk, and The Shop Talk will continue, what matters most is that these conversations, relationships, and acts of support continue year-round on a personal level throughout the Black Bruin community.

Moving forward, Nommo hopes Black Bruins can continue to come together and have meaningful conversations about our experiences on campus and support one another with open arms. It is critical to recognize the strength within the Black community at UCLA. As a small minority on campus, it is important that we stick together in any way we can. This looks like giving a smile and nod to every Black person you see on campus. It looks like attending community events for the sake of building community rather than grabbing a free plate of food. It also looks like having conversations with peers that push beyond simply asking “how are you?”

If you are interested in learning more about the Barbershop Talk, Beauty Shop Talk, or Shop Talk events, please visit @uclaalphas, @uclabbrc, and @awcatucla on Instagram.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
CultureHealthLifestyle

Skip Erewhon, Simply Wholesome has the O.G. LA Wellness smoothie

by Bahji Steele
written by Bahji Steele

Located at the corner of Slauson Ave and Overhill Drive, Simply Wholesome is a South LA landmark that feels less like a restaurant and more like a healing apothecary. For over 40 years, this Black-owned institution has been a sanctuary for health and wellness.

For the Nommo team, this was a crucial spot on our black-owned business crawl of LA, so we went on a little trip from Westwood to Windsor Hills to try out some of their famous smoothies. This spot is hard to miss when driving down Slauson with its 30 feet tall googiestyle spire poking out on the top, and its dark green and stone exterior. It feels like walking into a little herbalist shop of delicious food, herbal remedies, and medicinal mixtures. 

We went on a Sunday, so the store was fairly busy with its regulars. We decided to order their guava explosion smoothie, which was perfect as the LA weather had been warming up. As we sipped our smoothies, we explored the store’s diverse selection of retail items. The store is a masterclass in community support, stocking products from over 160 small businesses. From specialized herbal remedies for digestion and women’s health to a curated beauty section featuring African hair products, the shelves are a testament to Percell Keeling’s mission of making organic living accessible.

The highlight of our trip was getting a chance to briefly speak with owner Percell Keeling, and we discovered that he is a UCLA alum, class of 1975, and was familiar with Nommo. A beautiful full-circle moment for us. 

Simply Wholesome truly radiates throughout its community, providing jobs for youth in the neighborhood and teaching them about entrepreneurship. Just by taking a longer look at all the awards and images that decorate the store, you can see how this business has triumphed over the years. From Surviving the LA ’92 riots through the protection of the community, being featured in Slauson native and R&B star Jhene Aiko’s music video, and just this past February, to being honored by the California Legislative Black Caucus with a certificate recognizing its dedication to community, healthy food, and cultural uplift, Simply Wholesome has endured and cemented itself as a beacon of care. It is dedicated to providing healthy food not only on their menu, but also by stocking shelves of retail food items that are organic and healthy for their community. 

So next time an LA piece of sh*t urges you to try Nara Smith’s $23 Erewhon smoothie, maybe try Simply Wholesome instead. You may find your next go-to spot for a little sweet treat.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
CommentaryHealthLifestyleNewsPolitical EducationU.S.World

Afrikan Agarianism – Subcultures 

by Bahji Steele
written by Bahji Steele

For over 400 years, our hands tilled the soil, not by choice but forced through our captivity in chains. Promises of reparations crumbled, leaving us landless in a country we built. It’s no wonder that when you hear “Afrikan Amerikkkan” and “farmer” in the same sentence, optimism feels out of reach. This is especially true in hyper-developed cities like Los Angeles, where many of our ancestors fled after emancipation, seeking freedom beyond the fields that once enslaved them. Denied our 40 acres, shut out from land ownership, and systematically displaced, we’ve been pushed further from the idea of cultivating our own ecological balance. But what if we reclaimed it? What if the soil was always ours to begin with? 

Tucked between two weathered apartment buildings, just off the roar of the 91 freeway and Rosecrans, lies Compton Community Garden—a hidden oasis of renewal and resistance. Here, in the heart of a so-called food desert, life blooms. Temu, a Compton native and horticulturist who helped bring CCG to life, poses a powerful question: “Compton has the most ideal weather for organic gardening, yet we’re still considered a food desert? How did we get here? Is this by accident? We have the chance to change the narrative—to restore balance, heal ourselves, feed ourselves, employ ourselves, and build collective wealth.” A garden may seem simple, but in a world designed to keep us disconnected from the land, it’s nothing short of revolutionary. It’s a space to nourish bodies, reclaim community, and cultivate a future rooted in self-sufficiency.

“For our ancestors, farming was not a symbol of oppression, but rather a symbol of resistance and freedom. Every time we plant a seed, we are committing an act of sovereignty.” 

These words from Leah Penniman, author of Farming While Black, reframe farming as a means of liberation. As each seed is planted, so is the possibility of a new reality—one where food justice, sustainability, and collective power take root in Compton and beyond.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
CommentaryHealthNewsPolitical EducationU.S.World

Building Futures in the Midst of Ecological Destruction

by Orisha Lamon
written by Orisha Lamon

The destruction that ripped through the populous Los Angeles Basin tied with the improper governmental response is nothing but a repeat of unpreparedness for numerous environmental catastrophes that results from the ruling entities’ failure to properly assess the crumbling infrastructure of the LAFD, climate change response, and lack of social services for the needs of the people. The decimation of structures, homes, and memories, in one of the most influential cultural hubs in the world has received a devastatingly inadequate response from the City of Los Angeles that has in turn bolstered community-oriented and mutual-aid-centered engagement holding up the societal infrastructure before its entire demise. As we plunge deeper into a christo-fascist and sensationalist state given the current political representatives, there is a greater need for disciplined community building, protection, and practice. 

Los Angeles is widely discerned as a capitalistic foreground for gentrification and dispossession. This area of over 9 million has cultivated some of the most influential cultural and political communities and stances. The destruction of such space caused by wildfires, mudslides, torrential rain and pressing environmental and state-sponsored destruction creates a clean slate for landowners and private property management firms that prey on the devaluation of Afrikan and marginalized communities. The city’s vision of serving the people throughout the most notable Eaton and Palisades fires was through the mass-deployment of police officers to prevent looting, and preventing folks from being able to see their homes. The historic area of the Afrikan middle class in Altadena may never recover. The homes of folks who have been there since the Great Migration are gone and likely never to be rebuilt due to the lack of state resources. This mass displacement of a majority Afrikan community has prolonged and will greatly influence the confinement and racialized banishment of Afrikan folks in America. As evacuation shelters, like the Pasadena Civic Center, begin to book events such as America’s Got Talent recordings and award shows, not even 2 months after destruction leaves these folks displaced with municipal support dying down. I would like to ask: Where were these health concerns for the ongoing pandemic? For the Afrikan elders? The unhoused? For the poor air quality? For serving the community material resources? Diapers, medications, proper PPE? That was all thrown together by community members impromptu, nonprofit, and political organizations. The criminalization of such movement of essential resources and tools of organization is a threat to the current regime of surveillance in Los Angeles. Mass displacement and resource isolation, similar to the actions taken toward the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the failed state response, ties into the intentionality behind structural barriers of justice and support. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the South, displacing almost 1 million people with 40% of evacuees from Louisiana unable to return to their homes. Thousands are still recovering from the ecological degradation and trauma associated with loss alongside a lack of social safety nets already foretold the inadequate state response to disasters that impact the most marginalized. With displacement the Afrikan community of the Katrina impacted South faced white vigilantism coupled with lack of health infrastructure, prompting the conservation of a declining Afrikan population. This is not to present comparable figures looking at Katrina and the Los Angeles fires but serves as a call to our conditions. We must adapt and restore using material and tangible changes. Today we stand and ask where are we to go from here, from pessimism to revolutionary optimism, smashing imperialism, to practice, to pedagogy, to discipline, to care, to love. In reflection I ask: What are some starting points we can use to create community organization and begin our struggle toward an Afrikan revolutionary praxis?

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
HealthOpinion

The Declining Afrikan Population

by Orisha Lamon
written by Orisha Lamon

The Afrikan population in Los Angeles has been undergoing a decline at the hands of state violence and repression. From suggesting mask bans to the criminalization of unhoused folks it all ultimately impacts the livelihood of Afrikan residents and increases the criminalization of poverty and existence as an Afrikan. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) proposed fiscal budget for 2024/25 is more than 2 billion dollars with a net increase of almost 13% from the previous year. This proposed budget has almost $4 million directed toward “homelessness support” and technology requests that amount to 13 million dollars. Such technologies that are meant to ‘ensure public safety’ are often manifested through the methods of mass surveillance, weaponry intimidation, and violence — virtually having no use in protecting the Los Angeles community from its biggest issues which coincidentally stem from the same structure of municipal regulation. The LAPD budget presents a dramatic disparity between the police entity and social services. The issues that the Afrikan population in Los Angeles County faces come from inadequate health and housing resources that have deprived folks of the ability to survive in the vast geography. It doesn’t help that there are community figureheads spouting capitalistic and white supremacist talking points that infiltrate and convince the greater Afrikan community that racial representation and solidarity are synonymous; a strategic tool to further suppress Afrikan organization and mobilization for better lives and survivable wages, healthcare and insurance, social services and benefits, and true liberation. 

The state targets Afrikan existence at all stages of life. In the United States, infant and maternal mortality disproportionately affects the Afrikan community. Afrikan pregnant people are nearly 3 times more likely to die compared to non-Afrikan pregnant people due to birth-related complications. As deadly as childbirth is, Afrikan childbirth and violence against Afrikan mothers in the healthcare system has been historically maintained. The state also outsources its violence against Afrikan and disabled people by using infectious disease as a tool for eugenics. As seen with COVID-19, scholar Maritza Vasquez Reyes presents that “approximately 97.9 out of every 100,000 African Americans have died from COVID-19, a mortality rate that is a third higher than that for Latinos, and more than double that for whites and Asians.” COVID-19 exposure contributes to the decline of elder Afrikan populations and endangers disabled and immunocompromised people as repeat infections and inadequate public health infrastructure lead to the spread of misinformation and violent repression of masking and COVID-19 protocols. As elders wear surgical masks tucked underneath their noses in an attempt to protect themselves, readily available and effective personal protective equipment has been shelved, overpriced, and no longer reaches the communities it needs to without the efforts of community organization.   

Possible solutions to these disparities are based in organizational and community efforts that not only reach out to folks but provide material and personally tailored alternatives for communities experiencing the harmful impacts firsthand. Material changes and local impacts can have international implications and reach. Mutual aid and education efforts inform the community and will help us to develop an understanding of the true nature of being Afrikan in Amerikkka. Our collective efforts must focalize deconstructing the ever-changing suppression of the empire which acts as a tool in shaping racial-capitalist infrastructure and systems based upon the depravity of the poor. 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail