The full recap, Tye and the room in their own voices. Nobody is named. 3 minutes 40.
On Monday, October 12, The Elephant in the Room met in person at Poppa B’s BBQ Soul in Nubian Square. 13 people in the room, from all walks of life.
Tye came with an agenda and let the room steer it.
“I got an agenda, right? But we’re going to carry the room as we’re going to stick with how the room is moving.”
— Tyshaun Perryman
Mental Health Is Wealth
“Substance addiction is mental health. Mental health is wealth. Wealth is public health.”
— Tyshaun Perryman
The room asked him to say it again. He did.
“Great mental health is great internal wealth.”
— Tyshaun Perryman
And the room’s own version of the same point: substance addiction is a whole of society issue, and it requires a whole of society solution.
What Creates Wealth
“People that live in Back Bay live longer than people that live down here in Dudley. Why?”
— Tyshaun Perryman
Because more money is less stress. Then the harder question: what actually creates wealth?
“Innovation, business, opportunity, commerce. Not programming.”
— Tyshaun Perryman
The discussion stayed there: alternative opportunities outside of the standardized, institutional ones, and lived expertise used for community elevation.
The Elephants We Named
Harm reduction vs. abstinence
A continued conversation.
Trust
Named on its own.
A rigid treatment system
Treating individuals as less than. Limiting the potential.
Lived experience
Underestimating the value of it.
The room held both sides of the first one.
“Harm reduction is an oxymoron, but it’s saving lives.”
— From the room
“You guys need to talk more about accountability and discipline.”
— From the room
“It’s very systematic. You can’t really expound or create anything within that type of zone. You’re very stagnant.”
— From the room
It stays on the table for the next room.
How We Heal
“How do most people in the black community heal? They go to church. They pray. Homemade remedies.”
— From the room
We Are Capital
“Over $500 billion. That’s more than maybe 35 countries in this world. We don’t see capital. It’s a mindset.”
— From the room
Who’s Not in the Room, and Why
The room named who was missing: investors, youth, legal, young adults, people from other sections.
“It’s important that we go after the youth. Black youth is under attack right now.”
— From the room
The Powerhouse Distinction
“People bring a high intelligence based off of what they survived.”
— Tyshaun Perryman
“Until you operate in your gift, we are waiting on you.”
— From the room
Chair Conversations in Banks
Chair Conversations circulate institutions around the whole person, rather than the whole person around the institution. One idea from the table took that into banks: banks receive referrals for financial literacy and entrepreneurial programming, and gain an understanding of community needs.
Everything Has a Place
“Everything has a place, every place has a thing.”
— Tye’s mother
When things are placed in their right box it brings forth understanding, and you can see intersections, like rivers flowing into oceans.
Which is the paradigm shift. Most people unconsciously start with the problem. Start with the vision instead, then identify the barriers and obstacles.
Through the Gaps
The next work is creating opportunities through the gaps: proposals, grants and fundraising.
“The door’s open. Kick it open a little more so somebody coming behind you can get in too.”
— From the room
Session One named the elephant in your own life. Session Three named healing as a currency. Session Four asked how we move. Poppa B’s put a number on it: mental health is wealth.
What’s next
New topics, announced soon
The Elephant in the Room closed in person at Poppa B’s BBQ Soul on Monday, October 12. The next conversation is posted on the series page first.
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Mental health is wealth. Wealth is public health.