Community invited to support April 26 Spades Tournament at Soel Sistas.
NASHUA, NH – After the excitement of the New Hampshire Black Women Health Project’s Sowing Seeds of Healing Symposium last September, organization president Brenda Lett is looking to continue the conversation on mental health and racism with The Repair, a podcast featuring the Eboni Queens of New Hampshire.
In collaboration with Friends of Nashua Community Conversation on Race & Justice, NH Black Women Health Project is hosting a spades tournament on Friday, April 26 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Soel Sistas in Nashua to raise money for the podcast.
“It’s an opportunity to support [Soel Sistas] and also just kind of get together, have some fun, raise some money – but the real purpose is really for us to get together and to talk about the importance of mental health and how to eliminate racism,” Lett said.
NH Black Women Health Project has been working toward this goal since its start in 2010. The organization has held mental health workshops, supported the annual We Are One Festival in Manchester, and has partnered with various organizations in the process, such as Manchester NAACP, Victory Women of Vision, YWCA of New Hampshire, whose mission is to eliminate racism and empower women.
“At the end of the day, we are all just human beings and that’s one of the biggest challenges of being of African descent; sometimes you’re not looked at as a human being and when you say that to people they want to go ‘you’re tripping, you’re making things up,’ but the reality is sometimes people try to ignore you [and say] whatever it is that you’re saying is not important,” Lett said. “Your own experiences aren’t validated and that has an impact on your mental health, the way you feel about yourself and how you engage in the world.”
The podcast will feature Eboni Queens of NH – comprising Stephanie Hawkins Marshall, Devona Warner and Lett – in partnership with Nashua Alderwoman Gloria Timmons and state representative Linda Gathright, both of whom have been working on conversations around race and justice in the Nashua area.
It will launch on May 3 as a way to honor Black educator Septima Clark on what would have been her 127th birthday.
“We’re looking to do three things really,” Lett said. “We’re looking to address awareness around mental health so that people can be more clear about what it is. We’re looking at tools and techniques to deal with mental health, such as healing modalities.”
“Finally, we’ll want to deal with the repair,” Lett added. “First, you have to identify what areas in your life are really causing you harm, and then come up with some modalities in order to repair. For me, repair is continuing the work of our ancestors and the God that I serve that says I am a human being.”
Spades Tournament at Soel Sistas, 30 Temple St., Nashua
Friday, April 26, 5-8 p.m. Spades Tournament
- $300 to winning team
- Spectators donation: $25
- Spades team fee: $70
All proceeds to go toward mental health & racism podcasting ~ continued conversations on race & justice ~ For More Information email nhbwhp@gmail.com or call 603-264-2874.
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