Tag Archives: Black History Month

2025 Black History Month Wellness Event Pays Homage to Ancestors

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On Saturday, February 15th, the African American Community Initiative (AACI) celebrated their 7th annual Black History Month celebration at Eastside College Preparatory Academy in East Palo Alto. This event paid homage to the African American/Black ancestors, specifically highlighting African Americans devout contributions to our American history through labor (the national theme was “African Americans & Labor: Paying homage to our ancestors”). The event featured guest presentations from our newest San Mateo County Board Member, Lisa Gauthier, who represents District 4 (East Palo Alto), Behavioral Health, and Recovery Services (BHRS) Director, Dr. Jei Africa, and BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity Director, Dr. Maria Lorente-Foresti. Attendees were provided history about African American/Black representation in predominately white work fields, as seen in the video by Misty Copeland, who shared her lived experiences as a Black Principal Ballet Dancer. In addition, attendees learned about the Port Chicago explosion in Suisan Bay and the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black female unit of the United States Army during World War II. Finally, the event celebrated the work of Maurice Goodman, the President of the San Mateo County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States!

AACI closed out the event with an introduction to the Domini Hoskins Black History Museum and Learning Center in Redwood City, as well as providing some trivia and raffles to the community; all questions related to African American/Black individuals who contributed to American history and those who contributed to San Mateo County workforce. By celebrating Black History, AACI aims to reduce behavioral health treatment disparities, support an inclusive and welcoming environment for our clients and workforce and reduce the stigma around behavioral health challenges with the intention of creating more equitable behavioral health outcomes for our African American and Black community. The African American Community Initiative would like to thank all their guests and presenters for coming together and rejoicing in African American/Black History through music, community resources, speakers, and guest presenters. The African American Community Initiative hopes to see you all for their next event in June for Juneteenth!

To learn more about the African American Community Initiative, or to become a member, click here!

2/9 – Heart & Soul Presents “Lunch & Listen”

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In honor of Black History Month, please join Heart & Soul for “Lunch and Listen”, an Intimate Conversation About Mental Health with Officer Leon Jackson. Officer Jackson, a Black police officer with lived experience, will share his experiences of being both Black and Blue during this unique time in history, and his daily struggle to safeguard his mental wellness.

No registration required. Join via Zoom here or learn more about the event at their website here.

Please join Heart & Soul for in-person and online wellness activities!

Our groups and activities are free of charge and are open to all residents of San Mateo County.

New in February:

  • Every Thursday starting February 8th, Mindful Movement will be led by a yoga instructor in-person at the Drop-In Center. We will offer a hybrid live/virtual class via zoom for remote attendance.
  • Friday Night Movies are returning live on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month, in-person at Friends of Hope at North County, Daly City.
  • Heart & Soul will host our February Open House on Wednesday, February 15, 3:00 – 6:00 pm at our Burlingame Drop-In Center, with a special program honoring Black History Month.

2/11 – AACI Presents: A Black History Month Celebration

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Please join San Mateo County’s African American Community Initiative (AACI) for their 2023 Black History Month Celebration. The event is on Saturday, February 11th, 2023 from 10am to 2pm. In-person location is at Cooley Landing Center (2100 Bay Rd, East Palo Alto, CA 94303).

This event will be hybrid with an in-person limited capacity of 75 people. Registration is first come first serve, and you don’t want to miss out!

Scheduled presentations and activities include Black Mental Health, COVID-19 and Health Care in the Black Community, raffle prizes, live musical performances and poetry.

RSVP for the event here.

If you are interested to volunteer for set up, clean up, ushering, door monitoring, etc, please email dpennix@smcgov.org.

The mission of the African American Community Initiative is to become a known resource for African American Community members facing challenges with finding and utilizing mental health services, while addressing inequalities faced by African Americans in our county. Our vision is to build a community driven support system for reducing mental health and substance use treatment disparities, and the stigma of mental illness. Learn more about AACI here. 

AACI Black History Month Event | Thank you and Highlights

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The African American Community Initiative (AACI) proudly hosted their annual Black History Month Program on Saturday, February 26, 2022. The audience was greeted with a musical interlude by The Glide Ensemble singing “Say Their Names” chanting “Black lives matter- we matter.” This poignant song was followed by Dana Johnson (they/them), Pride Initiative Co-Chair, honoring our ancestors by reciting the Sankofa African Ancestral acknowledgement. Lee Harrison (he/him), AACI Co-Chair, gave an introduction to the national theme for Black History Month: Black Health and Wellness.

Doctoral student from Palo Alto University and AACI intern, Chika Ofodu (she/they) gave a well received presentation on Healing Centered Engagement (HEC), a framework for engaging with youth of color that embraces a holistic and strength- based approach to trauma that involves culture, spirituality, civic action, and collective healing.

Dr. Kim Rhoads (she/her) told us that the highest rate of COVID infection and deaths are still occurring in Black and Latino communities. Social determinants drive these disparities that are common among all other diseases. Although the total numbers of people with COVID has declined, Dr Rhoads emphasised that Black and Brown communites need to continue to follow precautionary guidelines to reduce our high infection rates:

  • Masking matters: It is most important to block the aerosol spread from the mouth and nose.
  • Protect yourself by getting vaccinated despite community conspiracy theories to the contrary.
  • Omicron is a variant of COVID, there will likely be new variants.

We must act accordingly to protect ourselves from this airborne disease.

Lastly, a cultural cooking demonstration of a Healthy Gumbo recipe was offered by Chef Opal of Daly City. Through-out the event there were presentation polls and raffles. A Black History Trivia Game and raffle ended the day on a high note. All event raffles were funded by the SMC BHRS’ Office of Diversity and Equity.

Written by Pamela Ward (she/her), African American Community Initiative Co-Chair

February 26: AACI’s Black History Month Event

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The African American Community Initiative (AACI) Health Equity Initiative of San Mateo County BHRS’ Office of Diversity and Equity is hosting its Black History Month celebration on February 26, 2022 from 10am to 12pm as an online Zoom event.

Please register for this free event here.

AACI-Black-History-Month-2022-FlyerDownload

2/20- 29th Annual Black History Month Virtual Celebration

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You are invited to the 29th Annual Black History Month Celebration! This event is being hosted by our African American Community Initiative in partnership with the City of Daly. This 2-hour event will be hosted virtually on Saturday February 20th at 10:30

To register click here.


For more details and registration information please see attached pdf flyer below

2021 29th Annual BHM CelebrationDownload

2/25 – Black History Month Intergenerational Dinner

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On February 25th from 6-7:30 pm, join the San Mateo County Pride Center for a virtual Black History Month Intergenerational Dinner. In partnership with the African American Community Initiative, the Pride Initiative, and the LGBT Commission, we encourage members of the San Mateo Black and African Diaspora to celebrate a night of Afro-LGBTQ history. Mark your calendars, bring your food, and share community as we engage in an interactive presentation and group dialogue about the dinner theme, “We Are Because They Do”. For more information, please contact Azisa Todd at azisa.todd@sanmateopride.org

Please use this link to register to attend: https://tinyurl.com/BlackHistoryDinner  This is a free space open to all community members.

2/15 – 28th Annual Black History Month Celebration

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Wellness, Resilience and Recovery: Black History Month Event Reflection

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On Saturday January 27th, BHRS’ African American Community Initiative (AACI) hosted their 2018 Black History Month event and health fair.  The theme was Wellness, Resilience and Recovery, with the purpose of empowering the community to take charge of their wellness and recovery using the resilience inside us all, and to celebrate Black History Month.  This year’s event was held in San Mateo at the Martin Luther King Junior Community Center. The event was enjoyed by over 70 people consisting of community members/partners, Health System staff, and consumers.  Over thirty plus community agencies provided information and materials on their services.  

The co-chairs of AACI, Tennille Tucker and Talisha Racy co the hosted the event  with Ms. Tucker leading the singing of the National Black Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing”.  Opening remarks were provided by Carole Groom of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, David Young, the San Mateo County Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and Rick Bonilla, the Mayor of the City of San Mateo.  Invocation was provided by Elder Alvin Swindell, the Pastor of Macedonia Church of God and Christ.

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This Saturday, Black History Month Kick-Off Event: Empowerment Begins with You

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2018 Black History Month Event Final Flier 12 27 (002)-1

Reminder that this Saturday, the African American Community Initiative (AACI) is kicking off Black History Month with their event, Empowerment Begins with You. 

Stop by to show your support as well as have fun with a free soulful lunch and inspiring speakers on suicide risk and substance use in the African American community and real stories from real people. There will also be interactive activities for children and cultural entertainment.

A healthy mind, body, and spirit promotes healthy families and communities. 

For more info about the AACI visit their website here. 

For more info about the event visit www.smchealth.org/empowerment. 

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