Celebrating Voices in Minority Mental Health: A Journey Towards Healing and Empowerment

Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, observed each July, invites us to look deeper—at the systems, stories, and spaces that impact our collective wellness. It’s a time to spotlight the voices shaping healing from the inside out. These individuals and organizations aren’t just offering care—they’re rewriting what care can look and feel like.

Sha’Na “Shay” Smith (@say.hey.shay)

Sha’Na is a Houston-based multidisciplinary artist and intuitive healer behind Neo-Sowl and FREEBLACKWOMxN. Through sound, poetry, and movement, Shay builds spaces where Black women can return to themselves and explore spiritual liberation through creativity.

O / Founder

Root & Yoke Wellness

Jotina Buck of Root & Yoke Wellness leads an affirming mental health collective that centers BIPOC and Queer voices. Their whole-being care model weaves traditional therapy with ancestral practice, reminding us that wellness can—and should—be culturally rooted.

Andrea Venson (@drea_theartist)

Andrea is an artist, educator, and meditation guide whose creative work turns healing into an art form. Her wellness retreats and sound experiences offer Black and Queer folks the space to slow down, reflect, and resist through restoration.

Mukomi (@artistmukomi)

She brings dance, body art, and ancestral rhythm into the healing equation. Through Indigo Arts and M.O.V.E. With Me, she creates movement-based experiences that help Queer communities and allies reconnect to joy and wholeness.

Sha Davis (@shadavis)

Sha blends performance, sound healing, and public programming as a cultural architect in Houston. Through projects like The Love Project and her roles in civic and music spaces, she champions mental wellness through sound, art, and bold public storytelling.

Master Peace Wellness & Consulting

Master Peace Wellness & Consulting, founded by Monalisa Bryant, offers therapy built on lived experience. Their culturally competent approach prioritizes safety, identity, and community, with a focus on Black women and families navigating layered mental health needs.

The Raveen Alexis

The Raveen Alexis offers Safe Haven, a space where ancient practice meets modern reflection. Through yoga, journaling, and meditation, her work makes mental health a journey of self-return and collective softening.

The Black Man Project

Founded by Brian Ellison, Anthony Suber, and Marlon Hall, The Black Man Project creates space for vulnerability and healing through mobile therapy installations, group sessions, and storytelling—all designed to center the mental health of Black men and boys.

The Black Woman Project

Founded by Tarren Everett, The Black Woman Project is rewriting the narrative for Black women’s mental health through free therapy sessions, guided healing circles, and community-centered events that challenge the “strong Black woman” trope.

Together, these leaders, healers, and initiatives are building what Oqupi believes in: culturally grounded ecosystems where care is a collective act.

Want to build community with more healers, artists, and creative changemakers? Explore Oqupi’s ecosystem — where creativity, culture, and care come together.