Can AI Heal Us?

Can AI Heal Us: A Black Community Conversation on Technology, Mental Health & Joy Black communities have always created our own pathways to healing—in family, faith, friendship, movement, music, medicine, laughter, rest and community. We prayed. We marched. We made music. We went to therapy. We called our aunties. We walked it out. We laughed until we cried. We built community. Now, AI is entering that ecosystem. People are asking it questions they may not ask their doctor, their therapist, their pastor or even the people they love. Can AI understand us without flattening our culture? Can technology expand access to culturally responsive mental health support without replacing human connection? Who owns the stories, wisdom and data we share? Can it be trained? And can technology help us not only struggle less—but experience more joy? Can AI Heal Us? brings Black technologists, mental health professionals, cultural leaders and community members together not simply to talk about the future of AI, but to help imagine the future of Black wellness in an AI-powered world—before someone else imagines it for us. October 1st | OakStop | Part of Oakland Tech Week Bias, Culture, Data & Trust AI is learning how to respond to us—but who taught it what it means to be Black? We’ll explore bias, privacy, cultural understanding and ownership, asking whether AI can recognize the fullness of Black experiences and wisdom without reproducing the inequities, mistrust and extraction already present in our healthcare and technology systems. Panelists: • Chris Chatmon, Kingmakers of Oakland • Damali Robertson, Freedom Narrative Films • Kahri Johnson, Cal Matters • Monifa Porter, Parable Labs • Dr. Tony Jackson, PranaMinds October 8th | OakStop | Honoring World Mental Health Day Access, Stigma & Culturally Responsive Mental Health When you’re struggling, who feels safe enough to tell? This conversation explores why AI may be becoming a first stop for people seeking support—and whether it can make mental health resources more accessible without replacing the trust, cultural understanding and human connection that real healing often requires. Panelists: • Antoinette Banks, Expert IEP • Clennita Justice, Early Stage AI Entreprenuer • Dr. Natalie Watson-Singleton, Spelman • Dr. Taisha Caldwell-Harvey, Black Girl Doctor