How to be ‘WELL-THY’
Our community is once again in deep mourning following a tragic white supremacist hate crime in Buffalo. We senselessly lost people who were simply trying to live their lives. So many of the victims we lost in Buffalo were Black women — trusted leaders, elders, activists and caregivers for their communities.
Sadly, Black communities have seen this hatred too many times to count, but it hurts no less. Since 2020, when corporations and other leaders claimed to be reckoning with racism, we’ve seen continued rhetoric and promises — but not enough action. What have they really done to invest radically and sustainably in Black women and our wellness?
We believe that it is vital to protect ourselves at this moment. Our organization’s inspiration is Highland Beach, Maryland — a community that was a place of refuge from racism and segregation for Black Americans in 1893. Today, we are actively creating a place of rest, intentional retreat, rejuvenation, and healing for Black women.
As we collectively grieve, it’s important that we take a moment, or however long we need, to pause, to be still, to sit with our spirits, and to unplug from the news and social media — and tune into ourselves.
We hosted a Highland Hour for Mental Health Awareness Month earlier this month, where we could safely, honestly and collectively talk about how to invest in the tools that foster Black women’s wellness. We were joined by inaugural Highland Leader and founder of Just Equity for Health, Dr. Stella Safo; the nation’s leading expert on anxiety and depression for Black Americans, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett, and founder of B is for Black Brilliance and Board Chair of The Highland Project, Shawna Wells.
As you tune into yourselves during this difficult time, we hope you’ll take some inspiration for your healing practices from our discussion. In the words of Octavia Raheem: “No matter where you find yourself, I pray you have the courage to pause sometimes. To rest and look within. To be still and know that you are not lost. You are making your way home.”
