OAKLAND, CA – A monumental three-day event entitled the Reparations, Power, and Healing Convening took place in Oakland last week, attracting hundreds of Black leaders, students, business owners, and Bay Area residents.
This gathering aimed to celebrate and amplify Black community leadership through a combination of meaningful dialogue, service, and healing, according to a press release from Change Consulting.
Organized by the Brotherhood of Elders Network’s Bese Saka Initiative and the East Bay Community Foundation’s ASCEND BLO (Accelerating and Stabilizing Communities through Equitable Nonprofit Development: Black-Led Organizations), the event emphasized the importance of supporting Black-led organizations throughout the Bay Area.
The Brotherhood of Elders Network characterized the Bese Saka Initiative as a “healing, capacity and power-building effort,” originally set as a two-year program but extended due to positive feedback from the 18 Black-led organizations it has served.
Similarly, ASCEND BLO aims to foster the growth, sustainability, impact, and sense of community among Black-led anchor institutions in the Bay Area, which serves to ensure the long-term vitality of both these organizations and the communities of color they benefit.
Through a racial equity lens, the ASCEND BLO initiative consists of three core components: the Accelerator, Stabilizer, and Network.
The Accelerator offers coaching, technical support, and training in strategic feasibility and sustainability over a three-year timeline.
Meanwhile, the Stabilizer focuses on well-established organizations preparing for leadership transitions, providing crucial guidance on risk mitigation, leadership development, advanced training, and succession planning.
The Network component connects organizations with workshops, speaker events, and networking opportunities throughout the Bay Area.
The convening kicked off on Thursday, May 15, with various healing activities and community service projects located in San Francisco and the East Bay.
Participants engaged in beautification projects at residential treatment centers, supported local farms, and took part in wellness activities that included movement, art, and hiking, as noted in the press release.
The focus on critical issues affecting the Black community took center stage on Friday, May 16, as hundreds gathered to participate in discussions hosted by organizations such as Black Cultural Zone, BlackOut Collective, Black Women Organized for Political Action, Exceptional Community Connections, The Hidden Genius Project, and CompassPoint.
Topics covered during these discussions included the current state of California’s reparations movement, building power through culture, nonviolent direct action, accessing government funding, technology and entrepreneurship opportunities for Black communities, as well as organizational wellness and self-care.
That evening, the Oakland Museum of California served as the venue for the Liberated Culture Concert and Film Screenings, described by Change Consulting as “an unforgettable night of cultural power, community, and celebration.”
The event featured notable performances from artists including Jen Johns, Spear of the Nation, 42K Oakland, and the Young, Gifted & Black Spoken Word Collective.
In addition to performances, attendees viewed screenings of several short films including I See No One But Me, I Am Hope, and Evolutionary Blues: West Oakland’s Music Legacy.
As part of the convening, the Brotherhood of Elders Network and ASCEND BLO awarded ten spontaneous $2,000 grants to Bay Area-based nonprofits serving the local Black community, bringing the total to $20,000.
Moreover, a $1,000 Family Wellness and Respite Scholarship was awarded to support a low-income family.
These grants were given in memory of Joe Brooks, a founding member of the Brotherhood of Elders Network and recognized as a “revolutionary freedom fighter.”
Quinton Sankofa of the Brotherhood of Elders Network shared the intention behind the convening, stating, “Rooted in the spirit of reparations and African liberation, we intended the Reparations, Power, and Healing Convening to advance Black political, cultural, and economic power, as well as to deepen connection among the Bay Area’s Black community.”
He continued, emphasizing the necessity of such gatherings in a time marked by division and divestment, adding that it is essential to celebrate culture, stories, and power as a unified community.
Sankofa also remarked, “The Reparations, Power, and Healing Convening was created with love, joy, and the unstoppable spirit of liberation to bring together hundreds of people committed to supporting the movement for reparations in California and strengthening our community.
Reparations are not just about money — they are about building power while repairing cultural, political, and emotional harm, with healing justice as a core pillar.”
image source from：https://davisvanguard.org/2025/05/black-convening-power-healing-bayarea/
