Last Updated on May 20, 2025 by BVN
Overview: Los Angeles County has officially designated the third Saturday in May as Black Elders Appreciation Day, which will be celebrated as part of the Sankofa Elders Project. The project, launched by Sistahs Aging with Grace & Elegance, aims to find ways to support achieve and maintain the dignity, care, well-being, and belonging of Black elders. The Black Eldering Bill of Rights and Community Manifesto for the Care and Belonging of Black Elders will be released on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
Breanna Reeves
The third Saturday in May (May 17) will now officially be deemed Black Elders Appreciation Day in Los Angeles County. The board of supervisors unanimously approved the motion as part of Older Americans Month.
The motion was introduced by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell during a board meeting on May 13, which detailed the significant contributions of older adults to communities and institutions across Los Angeles County. Mitchell’s motion also acknowledged the devastating Eaton Fire that burned thousands of acres of Altadena, a community with a historically large Black population.
Los Angeles County has recognized May as Older Adults Month for more than 60 years, and in honor of Black elders in Eaton, this year’s month will recognize the contributions of Black older adults as well as their unique needs and challenges.
“Our Black elders continue to face disproportionate risks of chronic illnesses, including dementia, as well as persistent disparities in health, housing, and life expectancy,” Mitchell posted on social media platform X. “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.”
This year’s Black Elders Appreciation Day will be celebrated as part of the Sankofa Elders Project, a community-based initiative that brings together Black elders who aim to answer a central question: How can communities bring together their collective voices, wisdom and lived experience to create a vision for the dignity, care, well-being and belonging of elders?
The Sankofa Elders Project was launched by Carlene Davis, co-founder Sistahs Aging with Grace & Elegance (SAGE), alongside co-founder Kiara Harris, and in partnership with the California Black Women’s Health Project’s (CABWHP) and with support from Aging While Black (AwB).
Part of Mitchell’s motion includes directing the executive director of the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative to incorporate Black aging and caregiving as a priority focus for the “2026
State of Black Los Angeles County Report” to develop a Black Aging Policy Agenda.
For over a year, the Sankofa Elders Project has convened older Black adults across Los Angeles County to develop the Black Eldering Bill of Rights, a set of guiding principles that will act as a framework to answering the group’s central question and create solutions.
After much anticipation, the Black Eldering Bill of Rights and Community Manifesto for the Care and Belonging of Black Elders will be released on Saturday, May 17, 2025 during the celebration.
Co-hosted by Compton City Mayor Emma Sharif, the event will celebrate the over 100 Sankofa Elder Ambassadors and stakeholders who have spent time developing the “community-defined vision and blueprint” to advocate for the wellbeing of Black Elders.
