Aquariusveritas: /* Awards and Media Appearances */ Edited topographical errors.
'''Yolo Akili''' (born October 14th, 1981 in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]]), also known as Yolo Akili Robinson, is an award-winning activist, writer, poet, counselor, and community organizer who advocates for addressing mental and emotional health needs in the Black community. He is the author of ''Dear Universe: Letters of Affirmation and Empowerment'',<ref></ref> and the founder and executive director of BEAM; Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
== Early career ==
After graduating from [[Georgia State University]], where he majored in African American and Women's Studies Akili began working as a yoga instructor and poet. During this time he released a spoken word album of poetic meditations ruminating on sexual identity called ''Purple Galaxy''.<ref></ref>
Moving into work as a community organizer, Akili joined AID Atlanta’s HIV prevention team and served as a life support counselor at National AIDS & Education Services to Minorities (NAESM). Collaborating with Charles Stephens, Akili co-founded ''Sweet Tea: Southern Queer Men’s Collective'', a group of queer pro-feminist dedicated to combating sexism.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> As the regional training coordinator of Men Stopping Violence (MSV), Akili developed batterer intervention programs geared towards educating heterosexual African American men in their 40's about abetting violence and sexism against women.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
In conjunction with this work, Akili began to focus on disentangling victims of violence from abusive patterns. Writing for [[Shondaland]], Akili detailed his own struggle with overcoming domestic violence, the shame that afflicts members of the LBGTQ+ community who feel trapped in abusive relationships, and the need for victims of trauma to avoid normalizing destructive behaviour.<ref></ref> During his time as a counselor, Akili saw that there were institutional barriers in place throughout the country that were preventing members of the Black community from engaging with their emotional healthcare needs, particularly after witnessing an HIV-testing counselor fail to connect a patient with care while working in Atlanta.<ref></ref>
== Founding BEAM ==
Seeking to address the disconnect between mental healthcare access in the Black community, and fed up with the failure of HIV/AIDS and domestic violence organizations to recognize the intersection between emotional trauma, recovery, and abuse, Akili founded BEAM, "Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective".<ref></ref> Named in honor of Joseph Beam, the cultural and political activist who inspired Akili to reflect on his personal vulnerability as a Black gay man, BEAM works with a collection of artists, healers, advocates, legal professionals, activists, and religious leaders to provide mental and emotional healthcare to the historically marginalized and medically mistreated Black community.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref> Akili has stated that BEAM's goal is to “remove the barriers Black people experience getting access to mental health care and healing.”
"Our work stems from the reality that most of the people in our community don’t get their emotional health support from therapists or social workers; they get them from people who are often more visible. These folks are often the first line of defense. But if these folks don’t have accurate information, or say/do stigmatizing things- they can become barriers to broader psychological care."<ref></ref>
Through BEAM, Akili sponsors community engagement events that teach Black people how to recognize their emotional needs, develop self-care practices, and where to seek help when trauma becomes unbearable. He also delivers grants to mental healthcare groups across the nation that engage with traditionally neglected communities.<ref></ref> BEAM's outreach events have featured panels of notable mental health experts and activist including [[Jenifer Lewis]], [[Raquel Willis]], [[Patrisse Cullors]], [[Vanessa Baden]], Dr. Consuela Ward, Dr. Moya Bailley, Tre'Vell Andeson, James Bland, [[Nathan Hale Williams]], Grant Emerson Harvey, [[Darryl Stephens]], and Aaryn Lang.<ref></ref><ref></ref>
== Advocacy and Writing ==
Akili is an advocate for feminism, denouncing misogyny throughout the gay community,<ref></ref> rejecting the agency that some gay men feel to fondle women's bodies,<ref></ref><ref></ref> recognizing the need for therapy and addressing one's emotional well-being in the Black community (as opposed to self medicating or pushing through),<ref></ref> embracing the "permission to get better: 'Healing is our birthright',<ref></ref> and overcoming the vestiges of HIV/AIDS panic and trauma from the medical industrial complex in the Black community.<ref></ref><ref></ref>
In 2015 he helped lead the [[Children's Hospital Los Angeles|Children's Hospital of Los Angeles]]' study into improving HIV treatment among young Black and Latino men (HYM).<ref></ref><ref></ref> His writing has appeared in numerous publications including, [[TheBody.com]], [[Essence (magazine)|Essence]], [[Everyday Feminism]], [[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|The Atlanta Journal Constitution]], Cassius,<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2) born unapologetic News, Style, Culture|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref> and [[Shondaland]]. As a contributor to HuffPost, he has challenged the power dynamics between sex roles in same-gender relationships, writing "...because a “bottom” still means weak, and “top” still means power — This is a call to become clearer to each other outside of checked boxes on Grindr or stats listed on Jacked",<ref></ref> demanded that Black communities reject the narrative that "Black People are Deficient In Every Damn Thing and There are No 'Good' Black Men",<ref></ref> and called for a "World Where Ending Partner Violence Was A Priority" in a "Black (Feminist) Future where Gendered socialization will be declared a public health emergency."<ref></ref>
== Awards and Media Appearances ==
Akili has delivered keynotes, lectures, and led panels at National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS and Other Health Disparities,<ref> TheBodyPro|website=www.thebodypro.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref>[[Claremont McKenna College]],<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref> Claremont McKenna College|website=www.cmc.edu|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref> [[AIDS United]],<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> [[Vanderbilt University]],<ref></ref> [[Ramapo College]],<ref></ref> [[Harvard University]],<ref></ref> [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,]]<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> [[Clayton State University]], [[Baruch College]], [[Agnes Scott College]], [[Fordham University]], [[Northern Illinois University]], and [[Columbia University]].
He was awarded the Creative Leadership Award in 2009 by the [[Feminist Women's Health Center (Atlanta, Georgia)|Feminist Women’s Health Center]] for his work promoting feminism.<ref> Men Stopping Violence|last=lgiordano|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref> After releasing his book ''Dear Universe'' in 2013, Akili was recognized by [[BET]] as a "Health Hero" for his work addressing emotional health in the Black community.<ref></ref> He appeared on [[NBC News]] in 2016 as a part of Jarrett Hill's ''Back to Reality'' podcast, to discuss popular culture in the Black community.<ref></ref> He was recognized by [[Blavity]] as one of "28 Young Black Creators And Leaders Making History Today" in 2018.<ref></ref><ref></ref> That same year, in recognition of his work promoting the intersection between mental health and social justice, he was nominated by [[AIDS United]] to the [[Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]] which awarded him its Health Equity Award.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> On the heels of this accolade, he was declared a "Health Equity Hero" by [[James D. Marks|TheBody.com]].<ref></ref> In 2019 he was recognized by [[Essence (magazine)|Essence Magazine]] as a part of their Black History Month coverage for his work "Aiding in The Resistance" in the Black [[LGBT|LGBTQ+]] community.<ref></ref>
== External links ==
* [https://ift.tt/2LJM3Xx Official Website]
* [https://ift.tt/2zX5a6z BEAM; Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective.]
== References ==
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:African-American writers]]
[[Category:HIV/AIDS activists]]
[[Category:American relationships and sexuality writers]]
[[Category:American feminists]]
[[Category:Sex educators]]
[[Category:American male journalists]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American journalists]]
[[Category:African-American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Georgia State University alumni]]
[[Category:LGBT poets]]
[[Category:Gay Writers]]
[[Category:African-American poets]]
[[Category:American male poets]]
[[Category:American poets]]
== Early career ==
After graduating from [[Georgia State University]], where he majored in African American and Women's Studies Akili began working as a yoga instructor and poet. During this time he released a spoken word album of poetic meditations ruminating on sexual identity called ''Purple Galaxy''.<ref></ref>
Moving into work as a community organizer, Akili joined AID Atlanta’s HIV prevention team and served as a life support counselor at National AIDS & Education Services to Minorities (NAESM). Collaborating with Charles Stephens, Akili co-founded ''Sweet Tea: Southern Queer Men’s Collective'', a group of queer pro-feminist dedicated to combating sexism.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> As the regional training coordinator of Men Stopping Violence (MSV), Akili developed batterer intervention programs geared towards educating heterosexual African American men in their 40's about abetting violence and sexism against women.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
In conjunction with this work, Akili began to focus on disentangling victims of violence from abusive patterns. Writing for [[Shondaland]], Akili detailed his own struggle with overcoming domestic violence, the shame that afflicts members of the LBGTQ+ community who feel trapped in abusive relationships, and the need for victims of trauma to avoid normalizing destructive behaviour.<ref></ref> During his time as a counselor, Akili saw that there were institutional barriers in place throughout the country that were preventing members of the Black community from engaging with their emotional healthcare needs, particularly after witnessing an HIV-testing counselor fail to connect a patient with care while working in Atlanta.<ref></ref>
== Founding BEAM ==
Seeking to address the disconnect between mental healthcare access in the Black community, and fed up with the failure of HIV/AIDS and domestic violence organizations to recognize the intersection between emotional trauma, recovery, and abuse, Akili founded BEAM, "Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective".<ref></ref> Named in honor of Joseph Beam, the cultural and political activist who inspired Akili to reflect on his personal vulnerability as a Black gay man, BEAM works with a collection of artists, healers, advocates, legal professionals, activists, and religious leaders to provide mental and emotional healthcare to the historically marginalized and medically mistreated Black community.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref> Akili has stated that BEAM's goal is to “remove the barriers Black people experience getting access to mental health care and healing.”
"Our work stems from the reality that most of the people in our community don’t get their emotional health support from therapists or social workers; they get them from people who are often more visible. These folks are often the first line of defense. But if these folks don’t have accurate information, or say/do stigmatizing things- they can become barriers to broader psychological care."<ref></ref>
Through BEAM, Akili sponsors community engagement events that teach Black people how to recognize their emotional needs, develop self-care practices, and where to seek help when trauma becomes unbearable. He also delivers grants to mental healthcare groups across the nation that engage with traditionally neglected communities.<ref></ref> BEAM's outreach events have featured panels of notable mental health experts and activist including [[Jenifer Lewis]], [[Raquel Willis]], [[Patrisse Cullors]], [[Vanessa Baden]], Dr. Consuela Ward, Dr. Moya Bailley, Tre'Vell Andeson, James Bland, [[Nathan Hale Williams]], Grant Emerson Harvey, [[Darryl Stephens]], and Aaryn Lang.<ref></ref><ref></ref>
== Advocacy and Writing ==
Akili is an advocate for feminism, denouncing misogyny throughout the gay community,<ref></ref> rejecting the agency that some gay men feel to fondle women's bodies,<ref></ref><ref></ref> recognizing the need for therapy and addressing one's emotional well-being in the Black community (as opposed to self medicating or pushing through),<ref></ref> embracing the "permission to get better: 'Healing is our birthright',<ref></ref> and overcoming the vestiges of HIV/AIDS panic and trauma from the medical industrial complex in the Black community.<ref></ref><ref></ref>
In 2015 he helped lead the [[Children's Hospital Los Angeles|Children's Hospital of Los Angeles]]' study into improving HIV treatment among young Black and Latino men (HYM).<ref></ref><ref></ref> His writing has appeared in numerous publications including, [[TheBody.com]], [[Essence (magazine)|Essence]], [[Everyday Feminism]], [[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|The Atlanta Journal Constitution]], Cassius,<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2) born unapologetic News, Style, Culture|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref> and [[Shondaland]]. As a contributor to HuffPost, he has challenged the power dynamics between sex roles in same-gender relationships, writing "...because a “bottom” still means weak, and “top” still means power — This is a call to become clearer to each other outside of checked boxes on Grindr or stats listed on Jacked",<ref></ref> demanded that Black communities reject the narrative that "Black People are Deficient In Every Damn Thing and There are No 'Good' Black Men",<ref></ref> and called for a "World Where Ending Partner Violence Was A Priority" in a "Black (Feminist) Future where Gendered socialization will be declared a public health emergency."<ref></ref>
== Awards and Media Appearances ==
Akili has delivered keynotes, lectures, and led panels at National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS and Other Health Disparities,<ref> TheBodyPro|website=www.thebodypro.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref>[[Claremont McKenna College]],<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref> Claremont McKenna College|website=www.cmc.edu|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref> [[AIDS United]],<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> [[Vanderbilt University]],<ref></ref> [[Ramapo College]],<ref></ref> [[Harvard University]],<ref></ref> [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,]]<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> [[Clayton State University]], [[Baruch College]], [[Agnes Scott College]], [[Fordham University]], [[Northern Illinois University]], and [[Columbia University]].
He was awarded the Creative Leadership Award in 2009 by the [[Feminist Women's Health Center (Atlanta, Georgia)|Feminist Women’s Health Center]] for his work promoting feminism.<ref> Men Stopping Violence|last=lgiordano|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref> After releasing his book ''Dear Universe'' in 2013, Akili was recognized by [[BET]] as a "Health Hero" for his work addressing emotional health in the Black community.<ref></ref> He appeared on [[NBC News]] in 2016 as a part of Jarrett Hill's ''Back to Reality'' podcast, to discuss popular culture in the Black community.<ref></ref> He was recognized by [[Blavity]] as one of "28 Young Black Creators And Leaders Making History Today" in 2018.<ref></ref><ref></ref> That same year, in recognition of his work promoting the intersection between mental health and social justice, he was nominated by [[AIDS United]] to the [[Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]] which awarded him its Health Equity Award.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> On the heels of this accolade, he was declared a "Health Equity Hero" by [[James D. Marks|TheBody.com]].<ref></ref> In 2019 he was recognized by [[Essence (magazine)|Essence Magazine]] as a part of their Black History Month coverage for his work "Aiding in The Resistance" in the Black [[LGBT|LGBTQ+]] community.<ref></ref>
== External links ==
* [https://ift.tt/2LJM3Xx Official Website]
* [https://ift.tt/2zX5a6z BEAM; Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective.]
== References ==
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:African-American writers]]
[[Category:HIV/AIDS activists]]
[[Category:American relationships and sexuality writers]]
[[Category:American feminists]]
[[Category:Sex educators]]
[[Category:American male journalists]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American journalists]]
[[Category:African-American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Georgia State University alumni]]
[[Category:LGBT poets]]
[[Category:Gay Writers]]
[[Category:African-American poets]]
[[Category:American male poets]]
[[Category:American poets]]
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