THE MISSION

BLACK ZEN is a movement dedicated to improving the health and well-being of black and brown communities. It is a social enterprise designed to make meditation accessible, relatable and effective across a dynamic range of individuals. Through meditation, Black Zen aims to re-frame mindsets and blow up limiting beliefs by demystifying the practice, debunking common misconceptions and showing that every day people can use meditation to bring positive changes in their life.

THE IDEA

The “Eureka!” moment happened while Stacey and a friend were catching up during dinner. Each of their experiences with meditation came up in the conversation, and through that discussion, the idea for Black Zen started to brew. They didn’t see the BIPOC community reflected in wellness-based practices and a lot of the online materials about meditation didn’t resonate with their current struggles. While Stacey had already established the fiscal sponsor service BE Meditation Group to support mission-aligned organizations, there was still a desire to take the concept directly to the community. From there, Stacey and Jasmine set out to curate content, gather resources and build a wellness hub to openly share knowledge and experiences with others who have felt under-represented in the wellness and meditation space.

THE ORGANIZATION

While the current focus is on incorporating wellness in communities that currently bear the brunt of social, economic and political injustice, this movement is about all people finding more peace. In a society of increased social tensions that seek to divide, this is an effort to share the benefits of wellness – specifically meditation – to create a more thoughtful and just society. Black Zen is not another self-help initiative, but a social movement dedicated to changing the course of human tolerance and interaction.

 

The BZ team writes editorial pieces on meditation, wellness and self-improvement. They curate online guided meditation sessions, conduct wellness webinars and participate in speaking engagements nationally to further the wellness conversation.