About Us
Prioritizing Black Health for Change
Belonging
We value the dignity of each individual to live a healthy and vibrant life in Santa Cruz County.
Connection
We value community as a place where healing and connection are fostered. Equitable and accessible services for our mental health and well being are paramount.
Agency
We are stronger together. Establishing equity around Black health outcomes and providing agency to improve them is how we transform our community.
Proudly Serving Santa Cruz since 2020
The Santa Cruz County Black Health Matters Initiative (SCCBHMI) began as a catalyst for making cultural connections and fostering a sense of belonging and safety in as many places as possible; especially the outdoors. As the Black community hovers around 1-2% of the county population, combatting isolation and disconnection from one another is imperative.
Enriching Events
SCCBMHI was born out of the response to the murder of Mr. George Floyd and the local Santa Cruz Black community convening with one another to take action. Through partnerships across the county with multigenerational and multi-focused Black organizations and leadership, SCCBHMI embarked upon and mobilized a community initiative to promote equity through a network of community trust, advocacy, and collaboration to improve the quality of life for Black residents in our county.
This initiative centralizes power in the small Black population of Santa Cruz County by providing culture and community-building events, sponsorships to Black-led and supported individuals and organizations, youth development and empowerment, and outdoor events and activities for the mental health and wellness of our community.
How We Do It
Holding our Black community in safety and belonging and JOY is the heart of our work. Dismantling systemic racism and the frameworks they hold requires a multidimensional approach through trust, partnership, transparency, and equalizing all voices at the table to develop new frameworks. SCCBHMI believes in the power of mental health, the outdoors, and connection through cultural placemaking at the center to achieve this.
The United Way of Santa Cruz County and the Santa Cruz County Black Health Matters Initiative partnered to bring forward the 2021 Data Spotlight on the Santa Cruz Black Community.
We believe that driving the investment in this work to take it to the next level is our next step. This historic and groundbreaking report and initiative centers the Black residents of Santa Cruz County's true quality of life; both by the numbers in raw data and through their lived and shared qualitative experiences.
“I wish we could do this throughout the year. It's so important for me and my children to be around people [who look] like us to breathe at times, laugh, and have fun together ."
— SCCBHMI Participant