The disparity Black people have experienced in relation to the medical industry has left a lot to be desired, and the mistreatment has led many to be dissuaded from trusting medical professionals or seeking the proper help.
Mental health is a sensitive topic for many in the Black community due to a lack of access, knowledge of resources, and a lack of professional care, but BEAM is filling in the gaps and creating a space for those in need.
The Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM) was founded in 2016 by wellness practitioner and activist Yolo Akili Robinson. BEAM was created in response to persistent gaps in traditional mental health systems, where Black and marginalized communities are often excluded from care.
“I’m still marinating on the fact that it’s been a decade of Beam existing, and it shows that our community is hungry and in need of a new mental health system,” Robinson said about Beam celebrating 10 years of helping the community. “We’re in need of better healing strategies, a better need for community-oriented strategies, because an organization like mine would not be around for 10 years if it wasn’t a real need.”
Since its founding, BEAM has trained more than 15,000 individuals in community-based mental health care, including crisis response and peer support. Additionally, the organization has distributed more than $600,000 to Black-led grassroots organizations and institutions, such as Trans Lifeline, WalkGood LA, and Ballet After Dark, while providing $200,000 in direct financial support to families navigating mental health challenges.
“I saw the lack of imagination, and due to my personal and political experience with mental health, I wanted to do something different, something better for people, especially my own,” Robinson said. “The first important thing we focused on with Beam was creating collective healing spaces for the community to gather and learn about mental health, healing, and how to emotionally process things in a healthy manner,” Robinson said about what he proposed in the beginning of creating different programs for Beam.
Through its signature programs, BEAM has transformed what mental health care can look like outside of traditional systems. The organization’s Heart Space healing circles provide accessible spaces for reflection, connection, and collective care in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and pop-up markets, while Black Masculinity ReImagined (BMR) equips Black men and masculine folks with tools to unlearn harmful norms and build healthier, more connected communities, and Healing Justice in HR extends BEAM’s work into workplace environments, training organizations and leaders on how to integrate healing justice principles into policies.
This program provides practical, community-centered mental health tools. Hosted on Wednesdays throughout May, the programming will serve as part of the organization’s anniversary and recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. Weekly sessions will focus on a specific theme, such as suicide prevention, panic regulation, Black trans wellness, and schizophrenia and family care. This program could be attended in person and virtually.
“These workshops build new strategies and coping skills for individuals and should be used in conjunction with therapy, as both help people in different ways,” Robinson said. “These spaces are for you, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a man, woman, trans, or gay; none of that matters. This is a space for those who are trying to better themselves and build community at the same time. There is no reason for any of us to fight battles alone.”
You can learn more about BEAM by visiting their site at www.beam.community.