🎉 L.A. County Declares May 17 as Black Elders Appreciation Day 🎉
- Citizens Coalition Admin
- Jun 1
- 5 min read
Celebrating the Wisdom, Legacy & Rights of Black Elders
📅 Official Date: Third Saturday in May — May 17
📍 Proclaimed by: The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
📢 Introduced by: Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell
“Black Elders Appreciation Day offers an important opportunity to raise awareness, share resources to address these challenges, celebrate the invaluable contributions of our elders, and support their right to age with dignity.”— Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell
As part of Older Americans Month, Los Angeles County has unanimously approved Black Elders Appreciation Day, celebrated every year on the third Saturday in May, beginning May 17, 2025.
This celebration was officially launched at the Compton Housing Authority in collaboration with Mayor Emma Sharif, and co-led by the Sankofa Elders Project and Sistahs Aging with Grace & Elegance (SAGE).
🎶 Launch Celebration Highlights:
Genesis: The Balm (Live Music)
Poet Aiyana Da’Briel (Libation & Labor Acknowledgment)
Young Life Compton (Youth Readings)
Community Mural Reveal
The initiative honors the vision and lived experiences of Black elders and includes the long-awaited release of the:
📝 Black Eldering Bill of Rights
+ Community Manifesto
for the Care and Belonging of Black Elders
Crafted by more than 100 elder ambassadors, this community-driven framework answers the call:
How can we create a culture of dignity, care, well-being, and belonging for Black elders in our communities?
🌟 Why It Matters:
For over 60 years, May has honored older adults in Los Angeles County. Now, Black Elders Appreciation Day specifically acknowledges:
✔️ The legacy and leadership of Black elders
✔️ Disparities in health, housing, and life expectancy
✔️ The urgent need for dignity-focused aging policies
🔥 Supervisor Mitchell’s motion also honors the memory of Black communities impacted by the Eaton Fire and directs the county’s Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) office to make Black aging a focus in the upcoming 2026 State of Black L.A. County Report.
💜 Led by:
Sistahs Aging with Grace & Elegance (SAGE)
In partnership with the California Black Women’s Health Project, and
Aging While Black (AwB)
📌 Mark your calendars for next May and join us as we uplift the voices of our elders and honor their sacred place in the community.
A Call to Care: Supporting Black Elders with Intention and Community
As California’s older adult population rapidly grows—with projections showing that one in four Californians will be aged 60 or older by 2030—the call to action is clear: our communities must prepare to care for our elders with dignity, intention, and equity. For Black elders in particular, the intersection of aging and systemic inequities creates unique challenges that demand culturally specific and community-driven responses.
This is the heart behind Carlene Davis’ newest initiative:
an Equity Community Organizing (ECO) group created in partnership with
the California Black Women’s Health Project (CABWHP), and
supported by Aging While Black (awB).
Davis, who co-founded Sistahs Aging with Grace & Elegance (SAGE), has been a dedicated caregiver and elder advocate for decades.
With the Sankofa Elders Project, she brings together intergenerational voices to answer a powerful question: “How might we together use our voices, our wisdom, our lived experience to create a vision for the dignity, care, well-being and belonging of elders?”
This project seeks to elevate the voices and experiences of older Black adults, equipping them—and those who love and care for them—with tools, education, and advocacy rooted in dignity, well-being, and belonging.
One cornerstone of this vision is the Black Eldering Bill of Rights—a living document created with input from over 150 Black elders and community members. This bill affirms the fundamental rights of Black elders, including the right to self-actualization and the right to age in place in “elder-affirming neighborhoods.” Set to be released in May, the bill of rights is not only a guiding framework for advocacy, but also a catalyst for community education, policy development, and institutional accountability.
This community-based effort comes at a time when the data is sobering. Older Black adults are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as older white adults and are less likely to be diagnosed. They also face disproportionately high rates of housing insecurity: although Black Californians aged 50 and older make up just 5.4% of the state’s population, they accounted for 26% of older adults who contacted homeless service providers during the 2022–23 fiscal year. As Davis notes, the care systems we rely on—such as Medicare—often fall short, leaving families unprepared and unsupported in their caregiving journeys.
“It’s not enough to respond to crises,” Davis explained. “We must create culturally specific and culturally affirming spaces where communities can plan, prepare, and envision what it means to age with dignity, care, and connection.”
This aligns deeply with a growing movement across California and beyond—one that recognizes elder care as not only a personal responsibility, but a collective, intergenerational effort. The future of Black aging will not be shaped by institutions alone, but by families, neighbors, faith communities, and organizations that embrace proactive, compassionate engagement.
The Sankofa Elders Project is a shining example of what’s possible when communities take ownership of that future. Through intentional dialogue, grassroots advocacy, and strategic planning, Davis and her team are helping to reshape the narrative around aging in Black communities—making it one of strength, support, and sacred continuity.
As Davis so powerfully stated, “This absolutely has to be an intergenerational effort.” Let us answer that call—together.
How Local Organizations and Churches Can Get Involved
The mission of ensuring Black elders live with dignity, care, and a deep sense of belonging cannot rest solely on the shoulders of individuals or caregivers—it must be a community-wide effort. Churches, faith-based groups, and local organizations have long played a foundational role in the Black community, making them uniquely positioned to take part in this crucial work.
Local churches can become active hubs for elder care education by hosting workshops on estate planning, long-term care options, and advanced health directives—topics that are often under-discussed but critically important. By creating culturally affirming and intergenerational spaces, churches can spark conversations between youth and elders, bridging the gap between generations and cultivating mutual respect, understanding, and support.
Nonprofits and grassroots organizations can collaborate with the Sankofa Elders Project by endorsing the Black Eldering Bill of Rights and integrating it into their programming and advocacy efforts. Hosting community forums, supporting caregiver resource groups, or partnering on health outreach campaigns are powerful ways to extend this work on a local level.
The goal is not only to educate but to inspire action—to foster an ecosystem where Black elders feel seen, valued, and upheld.
As Carlene Davis affirms, “This absolutely has to be an intergenerational effort.” Whether it's a small Bible study group committing to elder home visits or a community center creating a monthly elders’ roundtable, every contribution builds toward a future where aging is not feared, but embraced with grace and support.
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