African American Health and Wellness Council urges Alameda County to fund a community-led council and hubs

Carol Burton, CEO of Jewel Consulting and convener of the African American Health and Wellness Council, told the Alameda County Health Committee on July 7 that the council’s aim is to “advance holistic wellness in the African American community” by coordinating community groups, county agencies and funders around culturally rooted services and policy advocacy.

Burton said the council’s planning process included a rapid landscape analysis, interviews with roughly 30 organizations, two community focus groups and surveys. ‘‘We envision Alameda County to be a place where African American residents have equitable access to opportunities, resources and outcomes across all sectors of community life,’’ Burton said, asking the board to commit political will, institutional support and resources for council infrastructure and a countywide engagement process tied to the Outside Feelings campaign (outsidefeelings.com).

Wilhelmina Wilson, executive director of Healthy Black Families, described priorities that emerged from community work—including housing, health, finance, reparations, education, youth, public safety and infrastructure—and urged the county to partner in “harm repair” by investing in resilience and culturally centered programs. ‘‘An intentional investment in Alameda County in programs designed to strengthen family bonds, support caregivers and uplift intergenerational connections will strengthen our entire social ecosystem,’’ Wilson said.

Robert Phillips, introduced as CEO of Baywell Health, framed neighborhood-based clinical and community supports as essential to closing disparities. He said Black residents in parts of Alameda County face substantially higher burdens of chronic disease and maternal mortality, and urged the county to treat Black-led clinics and wellness hubs as permanent, well-resourced partners rather than short-term pilots.

Darris Young of the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) urged attention to housing as the single biggest driver of health disparities. He pointed to historical disinvestment, discriminatory lending and gentrification as causes that have pushed Black residents out of the region and said housing, wealth and repair agendas must be part of any health strategy.

Paul Bridal of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children linked mass incarceration and over-policing to displacement and harm, and called for policy and investment shifts that create pathways to employment and stable housing for formerly incarcerated people.

During questions, supervisors sought clarification about whether the roughly 30 organizations contacted in the analysis are duplicative or siloed and requested baseline demographics. Director Anika Chah of the Social Services Agency said the agency’s website shows about 12% of the county’s Medi-Cal population identifies as Black; county staff also described ongoing CalAIM reentry work to coordinate services between behavioral health, the sheriff’s office and probation.

Professor Omo Wally Fowles, speaking during public comment, requested that the county reserve a financial set-aside equal to 5.5%–8.5% of the mental health budget for the African American hub to ensure staffing and satellite services with culturally concordant clinicians.

Dr. Tribble and county staff gave a construction and engagement update on the African American Wellness Hub, saying the board has approved over $30 million in capital expenditures to date, an African American Wellness Advisory Committee has been formed, and the design-build procurement will require community engagement at each phase.

The presentation emphasized that the council intends to be community-driven, working in partnership with county departments and philanthropic and city partners rather than functioning as a county commission. The presenters asked the board to treat the council and Black-led clinical partners as permanent, well-resourced elements of county health and housing strategies.

The committee did not take formal action during the meeting; staff said they will incorporate the council’s findings and requests into program and funding discussions, including Measure W allocations for essential services. The meeting adjourned with no vote on the council’s request.