12 Mar Antioch’s First Black Consciousness Conference Calls for Unity and Representation

The Delta Bay church on Feb. 27 hosted the first Antioch Black Consciousness Conference and Concert, an event that is planned to be held annually. (Photo courtesy of Pablo Stone)

Commentary, Jasmine Ford

The first Antioch Black Consciousness Conference and Concert brought members of Antioch’s Black community together to discuss representation, healing and collective action.

Held at 40 Voices African American Holistic Wellness and Resource Hub at Delta Bay Church on Feb. 27, the gathering aimed to inform and encourage Black-owned businesses, community leaders and residents to organize and strategize about representation within the city.

Throughout the day, participants addressed a variety of issues affecting Antioch’s Black community, including mental health, education, policing, political representation, economic opportunity and faith leadership. Organizers said the conversations were intended to begin shaping a unified citywide Black agenda.

The conference began in the church sanctuary. The Rev. Lamont A. Francies Sr. and co-host Girared ”Gigi” Crowder spoke about the importance of representation within the community, and opened the floor up for questions and comments.

Some spoke about losing a family member, while others suggested that they would be willing to represent the community with help and assistance from churches and local Black businesses.

One moment that moved me was learning more about Antioch’s history. The topic of Antioch once functioning as a de facto sundown town was raised, a term used for communities where people of color were discouraged or prevented from living or even visiting after dark. Over the last few decades, demographic changes have reshaped the city and shifted the legacy of exclusion in the area. Today, Antioch is home to about 22,000 Black residents, making it the largest Black population in Contra Costa County.

Despite Antioch’s growing Black population, many residents say they rarely see that reality reflected in city-sponsored events, leadership spaces or decision-making tables.

I believe some churches have, at times, turned their backs on each other in the name of defending what they believe is holy and right. Difference in doctrine and approach have created divisions that make it difficult for faith communities to unite and work together.

Meanwhile, a real crisis continues to unfold right in front of us, one that affects youth, families, and the broader community. Issues such as violence, economic hardship, and the need for stronger support systems require collective action, empathy and compassion. Moments like this gathering remind us that the church has the opportunity and responsibility to rise above internal disagreements. By coming together, faith communities can recognize that the well-being of our city is shared and can’t be addressed in isolation.

So where does the representation of the Black community begin? That is why gatherings like this are important. To be seen, to feel heard, and to walk away inspired to inform the Black community that work is starting to be done.

During the conference, I also learned more about challenges facing the community that I am a part of.

About 8.5% of Black people in Antioch are unemployed; amongst that number are teens who have the highest unemployment rate.

Antioch has two Black women on the City Council, Monica Wilson and Tamisha Torres-Walker. Even still, we lack the representation and response to the issues we face in Antioch today.

Mental health was also a major topic of discussion.

Crowder, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Contra Costa County, offered mental health resources for attendees.

Black residents across the East Bay toil with racial trauma and discrimination, Crowder said, so creating safe spaces to talk about those experiences is important.

Another concern raised during the conference was the limited number of Black residents consistently speaking out against violence and advocating for recognition and change. With only a small group carrying that responsibility, burnout can quickly set in and slow the momentum of community efforts.

Participants also discussed how many events in Antioch are organized by people outside the Black community, which can make it harder to cultivate the sense of authenticity and cultural grounding that many local Black residents seek.

Part of the purpose of the gathering was to find out if there was a possibility to control these events; having a safe space for us to communicate, gather, and understand each other, without the overhead of control from the city.

Later in the event, we went into breakout groups. Black men and women were separated and brought into breakout dwellings.

I took part in a presentation by Lucretia Clark who said Black women and women of color were not just tired, but “HERstorically exhausted” from laboring in caregiving. Clark approached the presentation by speaking about how, as Black women, we can be exhausted from taking care of others and encouraged us to take care of ourselves.

At that moment, I felt seen.

Like many women, I have felt like I have had to take care of others first through communication, affection, prayer, and more.

“Caregiving can be exhausting. Being exhausted means that you are depressed,” Clark said.

She also discussed microaggressions in the workplace or daily life and scenarios to interpret that, as well as informed women that over-functioning in life is a survival pattern or strategy that we use to keep us going.

Overall, attendees at the conference were able to come together and fellowship, reflect, and encourage one another to get involved in the Antioch community, for the betterment of the Black community.

I was personally empowered to positively advocate for Antioch by giving voice to the voiceless and giving hope to those who have none.

For the Record

An earlier version of this commentary stated that Antioch was a sundown town. While the topic was discussed during the conference and it is “popular local lore,” according to the Associated Press, Antioch has not been formally documented as a sundown town.