TEXT BY JAMILA STEWART
ILLUSTRATION BY RINNY PERKINS
MOTHER rounds up 5 organizations that are dedicated to fostering positivity for African Americans in a world where the odds have been continuously stacked against them
Black History Month carves out a time to celebrate the movers, shakers and changemakers that the Black community has seen over time (to no surprise, there are many). This is equally a sobering reminder of the persistent challenges and disparities the community collectively faces. Change at times feels slow, far, few and in between. Nevertheless, there are several organizations on the frontlines moving the needle toward racial equity across various domains, including mental wellness, health and business. Read below to learn how you can play a part in empowering and supporting an underrepresented community. Remember that every step we make towards supporting and uplifting the Black Community is crucial. Please take a moment to support these organizations, either by sharing this information or contributing to their missions.
A staggering statistic reveals that only 25 percent of African Americans are likely to seek mental health treatment, while the number contrarily stands at 40 percent for white Americans. Another indicates 58 percent of Black people have only a basic, or even below basic, health literacy, while only 28 percent of their white counterparts show a low level of health literacy. The root cause of the state of mental health literacy in the Black community is layered, but among the most prevalent of reasons are a disparage in access to quality health care, discriminatory behavior on the part of health professionals and stigma within the Black community around mental health. It’s combatting all the above that sits at the heart of BEAM, the national organization addressing the specific barriers Black people face regarding health, and using education, creative arts and other avenues (all through the lens of social justice) to dismantle those walls. Through wellness tools such as affirmational journal prompts and tips on how to check in with yourself, as well as programs such as Heart Space (an online support group for healing), and a program dedicated to reimagining black masculinity, BEAM ensures the African American community is equipped with tools to begin healing themselves from systemic trauma, grief and more, as well as know when and where to reach out for physician-guided treatment when needed.
Only now is society engaging in a collective conversation around the privilege and opportunities non-minorities are often born into that Black people are, too often, not. It’s a buzzy topic for newfound allies in 2023, sprouting articles and social media posts around a subject long-since ignored, but it’s a reality that many men, young and old, of the African American community have lived since birth. It’s true that people are often products of their environment, which is why 100 Black Men of America, Inc., provides a positive network for the youth who may not have that built-in community. Operating under the motto of “What They See Is What They’ll Be,” 100 Black Men of America, Inc., the organization has run programs across a number of sectors since it was founded in 1986, including violence prevention, health and wellness and economic empowerment. In conjunction with its mentorship and education programs, it continues to have a huge hand in shaping today’s youth into future leaders of tomorrow.
The phrase “Buy Black” was ingrained into the brains of many across the internet in 2020, but the Georgia-based organization Buy From A Black Woman has been championing entrepreneurs of color since 2016, and is still working to ensure the recent support of Black businesses doesn’t pass over as yet a another fad. In case you missed it, Black women are among the leading bunch in entrepreneurship. Translation: There are plenty of businesses from the demographic well worth supporting. Yet, white woman-owned businesses rake in five times more in sales annually, due in no small part to the systemic issues that limit funding for Black women. This is where Buy From A Black Woman steps in. One of the most powerful tools of the organization’s website is a directory of Black Woman-owned businesses across a number of industries from beauty and fitness to food and personal services. Then there are live Q&A sessions around topics such as trademarks and order fulfillment, funding directories for small businesses, and more – which all just scrape the surface of the resource Buy From A Black Woman stands to be.
As surprising as it is that Black Women’s Health Imperative is the only not-profit agency with a full focus on the disparage African Americans face in health, it’s a strong organization for the minority group to have backing them. Its services seek to improve the lives of Black women in more ways than one, offering programs aimed at physical, mental, spiritual and financial improvement. To name a few, Black Women’s Health Initiative’s Change Your Life, is a program that helps Black women fight against diabetes, heart disease and much more. Additionally, their program My Sister’s Keeper cultivates a community that fosters leadership-building on HBCU campuses. With these initiatives and more, the organization aims to holistically improve the lives of the 21-million Black women in America.
Not that the need for advocacy for Black girls and women warrants explanation, but the statistics such as the fact that Black girls and women are three to four times more likely than white women to experience death in relation to pregnancy, or that 60 percent of Black girls under the age of 18 are subject to sexual violence make it plainly obvious. Girls For Gender Equity addresses this, and more layers of the plight of being a Black girl in America, through a three-part system: direct service programs, policy change and culture-change work. Through programs that skip the fluff and go straight to inciting change at an institutional level, the organization stands as an advocate that truly sees Black girls.
