\u201cWe call on the community to think about things in their life that are toxic,\u201d Sale said. \u201cIt\u2019s about reflecting on what is holding us back.\u201d<\/p>\n
While fasting is one of Black August\u2019s most recognizable traditions, mental health professionals say its deeper value may lie in the intentional introspection and community it creates.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we are talking about incarceration, I truly believe it\u2019s the incarceration of an entire family system,\u201d said Chioko Juliette Grevious, founder and CEO of Grounded Roots Therapy Collective.<\/p>\n
Grevious said incarceration often leaves families dealing with chronic separation, financial instability, stigma, and grief long after a loved one enters prison.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s this ambiguous loss when loved ones are physically absent from the family system but psychologically present,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She cautioned that Black August rituals should not replace therapy. Still, many of its traditions coincide with practices research shows can support psychological well-being.<\/p>\n
\u201cHealing in our communities doesn\u2019t happen in isolation,\u201d Grevious said. \u201cCommunities create rituals that help people remember, grieve, make meaning and reconnect with one another. Those are psychologically protective practices.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grevious also noted fasting is not appropriate for everyone, especially people with chronic illnesses or eating disorders. Instead, she encourages symbolic acts of discipline and reflection, such as taking a break from social media, journaling, reading about Black history, or participating in community service.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemembering and healing can exist together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For Sacramento activist Faye Wilson Kennedy, Black August is both a remembrance and a call for action.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlack August is a belief and tool for liberation and love,\u201d she said. \u201cMany folks don\u2019t know Black August honors the freedom fighters, especially those inside the walls of our sprawling prison industrial complex.\u201d<\/p>\n
For her, observing Black August also means centering Black history and culture while building coalitions with other communities seeking justice.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband and I try to center Black folks\u2019 needs in our activism for social justice,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cBut we also understand that we must struggle alongside other allies for collective liberation and freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWe call on the community to think about things in their life that are toxic,\u201d Sale said. \u201cIt\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":424564,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[2679,9739,14263,121,123,122],"class_list":["post-424563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-black-community","tag-print","tag-racial-justice","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424563\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/424564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}