OAKLAND, CA – Last week, Oakland hosted a powerful three-day event aimed at advancing the Black community’s leadership, wellness, and long-term strength. The Reparations, Power, and Healing Convening brought together hundreds of Black leaders, students, entrepreneurs, and residents for a series of workshops, healing experiences, and cultural celebrations focused on reparations and collective empowerment.
The event, held from May 15 to 17, was led by the Brotherhood of Elders Network’s Bese Saka Initiative and the East Bay Community Foundation’s ASCEND BLO (Black-Led Organizations). Both initiatives work to uplift Black-led nonprofits and community organizations throughout the Bay Area.
Empowering Black-Led Organizations
The Bese Saka Initiative, launched as a two-year project by the Brotherhood of Elders Network, focuses on healing and power-building. It was extended after receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from the 18 Black-led organizations it initially supported.
Meanwhile, ASCEND BLO offers long-term strategic support to Black-led nonprofits, helping them grow, stabilize, and connect with one another through a racial equity lens. The initiative is built around three core pillars:
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Accelerator: A three-year program offering technical training, strategic coaching, and sustainability planning.
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Stabilizer: Support for mature organizations navigating leadership transitions, including succession planning and advanced leadership development.
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Network: A space for connection and collaboration through workshops, panels, and networking events across the Bay Area.
Both programs share a central mission: to ensure the resilience and vitality of Black-led institutions and the communities they serve.
A Three-Day Celebration of Community and Purpose
The convening began on Thursday, May 15, with community service and healing-focused activities across the East Bay and San Francisco. Volunteers helped beautify a local residential treatment center, supported operations at a nearby urban farm, and participated in wellness sessions such as movement, art therapy, and hiking — all centered on grounding the community in joy, healing, and service.
On Friday, May 16, the spotlight turned to critical issues facing Black communities. Panels and discussions featured prominent organizations such as:
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Black Cultural Zone
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BlackOut Collective
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Black Women Organized for Political Action
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The Hidden Genius Project
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Exceptional Community Connections
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CompassPoint
Topics ranged from the state of the reparations movement in California and nonviolent direct action, to accessing government funding, Black entrepreneurship in tech, and organizational wellness.
A Night of Cultural Power
That evening, the community gathered at the Oakland Museum of California for the Liberated Culture Concert and Film Screenings. Performers included Jen Johns, Spear of the Nation, 42K Oakland, and the Young, Gifted & Black Spoken Word Collective. The event also showcased impactful films like I See No One But Me, I Am Hope, and Evolutionary Blues: West Oakland’s Music Legacy.
The night was described by organizers as a celebration of Black artistry, resilience, and community connection.
Honoring Legacy and Investing in the Future
In keeping with the event’s theme of healing and empowerment, the Brotherhood of Elders Network and ASCEND BLO awarded ten surprise $2,000 grants to Bay Area nonprofits serving the Black community — a total of $20,000 in spontaneous funding. Additionally, a $1,000 Family Wellness and Respite Scholarship was granted to a local low-income family.
These grants were given in honor of Joe Brooks, a founding member of the Brotherhood of Elders Network, whom organizers hailed as a “revolutionary freedom fighter.”
A Movement Rooted in Love, Power, and Healing
“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,” said Quinton Sankofa of the Brotherhood of Elders Network. “We also wanted to deepen the bonds within the Bay Area’s Black community.”
The gathering also paid tribute to the 100th birthday and legacy of Malcolm X, further grounding the event in historical consciousness and resistance.
Sankofa added, “In a time of tremendous division and divestment, it’s essential for the Bay Area’s Black community to celebrate our culture, our stories, and our power—together.”
He closed with a reminder that reparations are more than just a financial issue:
“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.”
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