Amazing Black Creators and Businesses We Love! Black History Month is All Year Long

Black History Month gives us a reminder and opportunity to uplift and share just a few of our favorite Black initiatives, educators, and creators. As our current administration endeavors to bar acknowledgment of Black History Month in federal agencies, and works to strip the concepts of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from the national narrative, we think it is even more important to elevate the educators, organizations, and creators of color who are doing amazing work. We want to share some of our favorites with you. One of the coolest things about being in the psychedelics space is getting to know incredible humans sharing their knowledge, passions, and yummy products with us. As this community grows we’re only more impressed and inspired by the tremendous protectors of sacred medicine, mental wellness, and activists for social justice. 

Organizations we love!

People of Color Psychedelic Collective (POCPC)

Sparked by a 2017 Zoom call discussing the lack of diversity within the field of psychedelics, The People of Color Psychedelic Collective is made up of educators, advocates, and facilitators. Their mission is to create spaces for people of color to learn about the harms of the War on Drugs and the healing properties of psychedelics. This has brought them into partnership with numerous psychedelic societies, presenting at conferences, offering workshops, and hosting events, doing research into the effects of the War on Drugs on communities of color, and contributing to the film A Table of Our Own, which is centered around a conference where participants discussed their experience in the psychedelic space. 

Oakland Hyphae 

Oakland Hyphae contains multitudes, from testing, to conferences, to advocacy and activism. Hyphae Labs brings scientific rigor and consistency to mushroom testing, and has presented The Hyphae Cup, one of the first contests for psychedelic mushroom cultivators, as well as numerous educational and community conferences and gatherings. Their upcoming Psychedelic Leadership Retreat will bring together experts, speaking on specific topics that impact Black psychedelia. Founder Reggie Harris has an active Substack called HyphaeLeaks where you can keep up with their myriad offerings and information.

Content creators we love!

Black Forager 

Is it poison? Or is it a snack? The Black Forager (Alexis Nikole Nelson) offers bite-sized foraging videos that are a treat to view, jam packed with wild foraging information and education about indigenous foods, including how to prepare your finds, all while maintaining an infectious enthusiasm. Are you in Shaggy Mane country? Or maybe you want to make ‘Sprite’ from pine needles? Perhaps you’re more interested in addressing the historical significance of foraging for Black and indigenous people in the United States. Wherever you are in the world, you will learn something from The Black Forager. 

Dr Tracey Marks - psychiatrist

Dr. Tracey Marks is a psychiatrist who makes informative videos about mental health. Her matter of fact delivery is research based, and she succinctly explains the some of the neurology and psychology behind ADHD, dopamine pathways, executive function and psychological defenses and provides helpful exercises and techniques, as well as suggests healthy responses to triggers, and ways to improve coping skills (among other topics.)

Learn about - why it can be difficult to motivate with ADHD and some tips that might help you out, or how you can reshape your brain after trauma, or want some tips on how to stop overthinking? Dr. Marks seems to have a video for just about anything you might want to know more about and we can’t get enough. 

Sacred Alchemist 

Monica Cadena is a teacher, a writer, an activist and an all around dynamo. Her work around 

Products We Love!

Psilly Girls 

Psilly Girls founder Soma Phoenix is a Psychedelic Herbalist, integration specialist, mushroom cultivator, and the board president of the People of Color Psychedelic Collective. In addition to her advocacy, consulting, and integration work she makes wonderful herbal tinctures, teas, and functional mushroom products (including these cute as hell digital microdosing calendars!) Check out her Happy Mood Bundle as a jump start and spend some time exploring her site for further resources and inspiration.  

Brundo Spice Company 

When Fetlework Tefferi couldn’t find the quality herbs and spices essential to Ethiopian cooking for her small family restaurant, she created a source herself. Brundo Spice Company operates a processing plant in Modjo, Ethiopia which partners with small farmers, ensuring high quality, expertly processed herbs, spices, and seeds. The facility is primarily operated by women in the community, and the amazing products that are not used in the lovely Café Colucci in Oakland, CA (make sure to visit if you’re in the area) are thankfully available to the public. Our founder Andrea collaborated with Brundo Spice Co. many years ago to create an Ethiopian Niter Kibbeh (similar to ghee), and we are huge fans of Brundo’s incredible cooking blends. Not that we’re not also fans of their single origin seeds and herbs. Rooted in sustainability, empowerment, and equity, Brundo Spice Company has something for everyone!