Black Mental Health-Part 3

By Tanya Dennis

“Bese Saka” in the Akan language means “Sack of cola nuts.” Cola nuts are an African symbol of affluence, power, abundance, plenty, togetherness and unity.

The Bese Saka Initiative in Oakland, led by the Brotherhood of Elders, and financially supported by the San Francisco Foundation, involves approximately 20 Black-led organizations, who each received $75,000 a year for two years to develop non-traditional, advocacy, capacity and power building.

The organizations selected are diverse and cover San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa County. They are: All of Us or None, Anti Police Terror Project, Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project, Black Organizing Project, Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), Community Housing and Development Corp, East Oakland Collective, Hidden Genius Project, Hospitality House, Live Free, Oakland Frontline Healers, Oakland Reach, Performing Stars of Marin, Priority Africa Network, Richmond Housing and Neighborhood Services, Safe Return Project , SF Black Wall Street and Young Community Developers.

Led by The Brotherhood of Elders and Spearitwurx, and in collaboration with the Association of Black Psychologists, these African American organizations will undergo intensive training in “The African Way’ of healing and building community and creating new culture for the next two years, setting the foundation to transform Oakland with a major focus on the Black community.

“If not us, who?” Says Dr. Wade Nobles. “Interlocking and interconnecting organizations must be primary before we can establish a healthy community housing healthy people. A person cannot experience spiritual and mental wellness in a sick environment. We heal our people when we heal Oakland. The establishment of African American Healing Hubs is essential to this mission and our work.”

Sankofa shared that “We are determined to not slap a Black face on a white structure. I am blessed to be a part of this work. This is a tremendous opportunity for the Black Community and Black organizations to do it our way, the right way. This is our opportunity to see our true selves, our true culture, and the beginning of healing our people.”

Nobles, founder of the Association of Black Psychologists added, “In this time of dread with consistent and continuing white supremacy and the COVID-19 pandemic which calls for a “new normal,” our new normal must be a return to our “old normal” of collective caring and sharing.

“The mental health problems and challenges in the African American community have increased exponentially. We are seeing more anxiety, suicide, loss of self-efficacy, loss of control, decrease in connectedness, reduced self-care, coping strategies, trauma reactions, prolonged exposure to harm/trauma, insecurity, institutional mistrust, social injustice and inequality, conflict within families, organizations, communities, and other peoples, and loss empathy.

“We are in crisis. We desparately need Black owned and operated mental health services,” he said.

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