Alameda County proclaims Black Mental Health Matters Month, Affordable Housing Month and AAPI Heritage Month

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on May 13 issued several proclamations recognizing mental‑health needs and cultural heritage in the county.

Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bass presented a proclamation declaring May 2025 Black Mental Health Matters Month, citing county data on unmet mental‑health needs among Black residents and calling for multi‑sector, culturally grounded prevention and treatment. Carol Burton, CEO of Jewel Consulting and convener of the African American Mental Health and Wellness Coalition, described the "Outside Feelings" campaign and called for investments in racially concordant and culturally affirming services. "Black mental health matters every day," Burton said.

Supervisor Miley read a proclamation recognizing Affordable Housing Month and highlighted East Bay Housing Organization’s decades of advocacy; Tesla McCarroll of Supportive Housing Community Land Alliance described monthly events tied to the recognition and thanked the board for support. The board also honored work to open recent housing projects in the county and noted ongoing federal threats to housing funding.

Supervisors Tam, Marquez and Fortunato Bass presented a proclamation marking Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and honored the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CIRRI). Dr. Mona Afari, founder of CIRRI, described the agency’s trauma‑informed work with refugee survivors and thanked the county for MHSA and other funding that sustained the organization.

These recognitions were accompanied by brief speeches from nonprofits and community leaders who urged the board to translate proclamations into sustained investments in prevention, culturally responsive care and housing resources. The board took photographs with honorees and said public comment on these items would be heard later in the meeting.