Abundant Black Health

For many Black People, our deep practices of compassionate, inclusive, and healthy spirituality/religion are foundational to our Black joy, wellness, resilience, and our resistance to disease and racism. To help Black People stay mindful of who we really are and make sense and joy out of the sometimes complicated Black health journey, Abundant Black Health's spirit health programming centers:

• Ancestral strength
• Sharp discernment
• Rootedness
• Relational and reciprocal community
• Radical care
• Wide compassion

Most Black People have not received quality mental health education and care due to racial discrimination in mental healthcare, lack of equitable access to resources and services, few Black mental health practitioners, and negative stigmas. To help Black People use essential mental health techniques, Abundant Black Health's mind health programming includes:

• Mindfulness practices (i.e. active reflection, body scans)
• Loved ones-based mental health support
• Music as mind medicine,
• Teachings that explore the pain of anti-Black racism and educates participants on ways to validate, nurture, and welcome healing of self
• Recommendations regarding counseling services

To improve Black People’s internal and external body health and to increase the likelihood of life-long use of body health practices by program participants, Abundant Black Health's body health programming consists of:

• Body positivity
• Nutrition including dietary options such as veganism and vegetarianism
• Caring for Black skin/the body’s largest organ
• Dental health care,
• Exercise recommendations for participants with varying levels of physical ability
• Reminders and celebrations for scheduling appointments with doctors and dentists
• Guidance concerning accompanying and advocating for loved ones when in healthcare settings
• Adolescent and adult reproductive health education and planning

Being in a perpetual state of anxiousness about financial health increases the body’s cortisol levels which can lead to anxiety and depression, sleep loss, headaches/migraines, digestive challenges, high blood pressure, muscle tension, and memory problems. At Abundant Black Health, we know that Black Liberation is financial liberation. To help Black People cultivate a relationship with money that contributes to living a healthy life, Abundant Black Health's financial health program includes education and practices that encourage participants to:

• Explore their relationship with money
• Set and reach financial goals
• Create and follow a structured budget
• Experiment with ways for decreasing spending
• Save to cover large expenses

Despite the racist history of the environmental health movement, according to a 2020 study by Yale University, 57% of Black Americans are concerned about climate change compared to 49% of white Americans. Additionally, Black People are 14% more likely to join a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming. To help Black People learn more about and use essential environmental health approaches, Abundant Black Health's environmental health program consists of:

• Information, resources, and support for the use of affordable clean energy and energy efficient products
• Indoor and outdoor gardening methods
• Encouraging meatless Mondays – eating one less burger a week for a year has the same environmental impact as not driving a car for 320 miles!