OAKLAND, CA – The three-day Reparations, Power, and Healing Convening took place in Oakland last week, drawing hundreds of Black leaders, students, business owners, and Bay Area residents to celebrate and strengthen Black community leadership through dialogue, service, and healing, according to a press release from Change Consulting.
The event was 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). Both initiatives are committed to supporting and empowering Black-led organizations throughout the Bay Area, according to Change Consulting.
The Brotherhood of Elders Network describes the Bese Saka Initiative as “a healing, capacity and power-building effort,” originally launched as a two-year program. It was extended following strong positive feedback from the 18 Black-led organizations it served.
ASCEND BLO similarly aims to “enhance the growth, sustainability, impact and sense of community among Black-led anchor institutions in the Bay Area in order to ensure the long-term vitality of those organizations and the communities of color they serve,” according to the East Bay Community Foundation. It does so through “capacity building with a racial equity lens.”
ASCEND BLO consists of three core components: the ASCEND BLO Accelerator, Stabilizer, and Network. The Accelerator offers coaching, technical support, and training in strategy, feasibility, and sustainability over a three-year period. The Stabilizer supports well-established organizations preparing for executive leadership transitions, providing guidance on risk mitigation, leadership development, advanced training, and succession planning. The Network component provides access to workshops, speaker events, and networking opportunities across the Bay Area.
The convening began on Thursday, May 15, with healing activities and community service projects across San Francisco and the East Bay. These included beautification efforts at a residential treatment center, support for a local farm, and wellness activities such as movement, art, and hiking, according to Change Consulting.
On Friday, May 16, the focus shifted to critical issues affecting the Black community. Hundreds of participants gathered to engage in discussions led by organizations such as Black Cultural Zone, BlackOut Collective, Black Women Organized for Political Action, Exceptional Community Connections, The Hidden Genius Project, and CompassPoint. According to Change Consulting, these sessions were designed to advance key issues facing the Black community.
Topics discussed included:
- The state of the reparations movement in California
- Building power through culture
- Nonviolent direct action
- Accessing government funding
- Technology and entrepreneurship opportunities for Black communities
- Organizational wellness and self-care
That evening, attendees gathered at the Oakland Museum of California for the Liberated Culture Concert and Film Screenings, which Change Consulting described as “an unforgettable night of cultural power, community, and celebration.” The event featured performances by Jen Johns, Spear of the Nation, 42K Oakland, and the Young, Gifted & Black Spoken Word Collective. It also included screenings of 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, totaling $20,000. Additionally, a $1,000 Family Wellness and Respite Scholarship was awarded to support a low-income family.
The grants were given in honor of Joe Brooks, a founding member of the Brotherhood of Elders Network and described by Change Consulting as a “revolutionary freedom fighter.”
“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,” said Quinton Sankofa of the Brotherhood of Elders Network, according to Change Consulting. He added that the gathering also served to honor the 100th birthday and legacy of Malcolm X.
“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,” Sankofa stated.
He concluded, “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.”
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ASCEND BLO Bese Saka Initiative Black Cultural Zone Black Out Collective Black Women Organized for Political Action Brotherhood of Elders Network Change Consulting East Bay Community Foundation Quinton Sankofa
