Black Elders Deserve the Right to Self-Actualization

All Black Elders deserve to live, be, and move through the world without judgement or fear. Ageism, racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, religion-based discrimination, and all other “-isms” should not and cannot have any credence in the way that Black Elders are perceived, treated and valued. Black elders deserve to be free of any and all “-isms” that negatively affect who they are and the ways they strive to exist as they age. These socially constructed biases do not define Black Elderhood -- instead, they create a distinct divide for Black Elders that can be isolating and negatively affect their quality of life.  Black Elders, many of whom have already sacrificed so much for their families and communities, deserve the right to live fully and authentically in their joy.