Los Angeles County to Celebrate 2nd Annual Black Elders Appreciation Day

Sankofa ECO Group

Community event uplifts Black elders, honors Altadena families impacted by last year’s fires and advances the Black Eldering Bill of Rights

INGLEWOOD, CA, UNITED STATES, May 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Community leaders, advocates, elders and partner organizations will gather on Saturday, May 16, for the 2nd Annual Los Angeles County Black Elders Appreciation Day, a celebration focused on dignity, care, well-being and belonging for Black elders across Los Angeles County.

The event, organized by the Sankofa ECO-Group, will honor Sankofa Elder Ambassadors, recognize Community Heroes and include tributes to Black women and families impacted by last year’s fires in the historic Black Altadena neighborhood of Los Angeles County.

The gathering will also spotlight the Black Eldering Bill of Rights, a community-driven manifesto created to address the systemic health and social inequities facing Black elders in Los Angeles County.

Last year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion designating the third Saturday in May as Black Elders Appreciation Day as part of Older Americans Month. The observance recognizes the contributions of Black elders throughout the County and supports broader efforts to center Black aging, caregiving, and community wellbeing in public policy discussions.

The Sankofa ECO-Group is a community outreach, engagement and mobilization initiative created to center and empower Black elders to identify and advocate for community solutions addressing health disparities affecting their lives, families, neighborhoods and communities.

The project is a collaboration between California Black Women’s Health Project and Sistahs Aging With Grace & Elegance and is funded through the SCAN Foundation’s Advancing Equity in Aging initiative in collaboration with the California Health Care Foundation and the Metta Fund.

The initiative is driven by an intergenerational coalition of Sankofa Elder Ambassadors, Black elders, caregivers, advocates and community members committed to advancing health equity and improving the wellbeing of Black older adults.

A major focus of the initiative is the Black Eldering Bill of Rights, which calls for equitable healthcare, culturally reflective services, housing stability, elder care access and financial and social support systems that allow Black elders to age safely and independently in their homes and communities. Developed through community engagement and leadership from Black elders themselves, the Black Eldering Bill of Rights seeks to address longstanding inequities including housing insecurity, chronic illness, barriers to healthcare access and inadequate community resources that disproportionately impact Black seniors.

This year’s Black Elders Appreciation Day celebration reflects a growing movement to ensure Black elders are seen, valued and supported through community care, policy advocacy and collective action across Los Angeles County, California and beyond.

Geneses Abril
California Black Women's Health Project
geneses@cabwhp.org
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