Photos from the Rooted in Resilience 2026 Conference
Local leaders, wellness practitioners, and neighbors gathered at the YMI.
The historic YMI Cultural Center was filled with energy, purpose, and deep community care on Saturday, May 16, 2026, as Asheville residents gathered for the Rooted in Resilience: Building Health, Wealth, and Black Legacy in Asheville conference.
The free, half‑day convening brought together local leaders, wellness practitioners, and neighbors committed to rebuilding and flourishing in the long aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Organized through a collaboration between the Asheville Women’s Support Group, Dr. Atyia Martin of the Black Resilience Network, and Dr. Annelle Primm of the All Healers Mental Health Alliance, the event grew from more than a year of shared healing circles and resource‑building among Black women advocates. Their ongoing work shaped a conference grounded in collective strength and practical tools for long‑term recovery.
Centering Health, Wealth, and Black Legacy
The program opened with a featured presentation by Dr. Vivian Campbell, a Charlotte‑based psychiatrist who offered clear, compassionate guidance on recognizing trauma responses after disasters and navigating the emotional toll of crisis. Her talk set the tone for a day focused on both acknowledgment and empowerment.
Photos by Renato Rotolo
Panels throughout the morning highlighted Asheville’s own innovators and healers, including Dr. Travis Whiteside of The Plug: A Chiropractic Wellness Center and Jasmine Moore of Moore Courage Healing & Wellness. Speakers emphasized the importance of culturally rooted wellness, economic self‑determination, and preserving Black history as essential pillars of community resilience.
Attendees also explored a wide range of resource and vendor tables from local and statewide organizations offering services in health, financial literacy, small‑business support, and disaster recovery. Music, conversation, and a shared lunch rounded out the gathering, reinforcing the conference’s message: resilience grows strongest when nurtured together.
Holding the event at the YMI Cultural Center—the oldest African American cultural center in the nation—added powerful resonance. The venue’s history as a hub for Black leadership and creativity underscored the conference’s focus on honoring community wisdom while building toward a thriving future.
The Rooted in Resilience Conference was funded by the American Baptist Home Mission Societies and remains part of a broader effort to strengthen networks of care, knowledge, and opportunity across Asheville’s Black communities.
