Root Cause Collective

Last month, Root Wellness Center attended the National Convocation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 29th Biennial Session. And we walked away so full. 

The theme was Revive. Reset. Resist., and we felt every word of it.
 
Toni Davis, led two sessions: a deep dive into our Whole Body Health program, which supports older adults through movement and nutrition, and a morning movement practice intentionally designed to be accessible and affirming for all bodies.
  
AW Shields facilitated a conversation that brought four generations — Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z — into the same room to speak, listen, and genuinely be heard.

What we didn’t anticipate was just how much the event would feel like a homecoming. We saw old friends who’ve become family and new faces that felt familiar. This was truly a space where Black Disciples could exhale, celebrate, and be in community. 

We are deeply grateful to National Convocation for holding that kind of space. It was such a gift to be in attendance.  

In April, AW, Toni, and Khayla presented “Holding the Line: Maintaining Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Strength While Leading in Revolutionary Times,” a workshop series of the Rooted Capacity Project, for criminal justice leaders across the country. The Rooted Capacity Project is a collaboration between the Root Cause Collective, Capacita, and the Ayni Institute, brought together by Just Impact Advisors to strengthen the criminal justice reform ecosystem of leaders, organizations, and movements. 

In this clip, AW names something we don’t say enough: joy and choice is not a luxury, it is an act of resistance. When systems work to dehumanize us, insisting on our full humanity, our rest, pleasure, relationships, and creativity are how we push back. She challenges the romanticization of martyrdom and calls us into something harder and more honest: actually, living liberated, not just working toward liberation for everyone else. 
This is what we mean when we say healing happens in community. It’s not theoretical, it’s practiced, embodied, and shared. 💚 

Our team is available for workshops, webinars, and retreat support. Visit the link in our bio to work with us.