A Short History of BWMP

Black Women’s Media Project has been in Alameda County since 1990. It was initially sponsored by the National Black Alcoholism Council / California Chapter in Oakland. When that chapter moved to Los Angeles in 1997, BWMP came  under the sponsorship of the  Health & Human Resource Education Center, co-directed by Colette Winlcok, Kiara Harris and Shiela James. HHREC conducted an extensive community needs assessment to identify what Black women would like to see as the direction of the project.  Out of the richness of those focus group discussions and meetings with professional black women came the idea to use this valuable community information as part of a health promotion tool. Thus was birthed “Crossing the Invisible Line:” a “Jet” style magazine through which the community speaks about alcohol related problems, including problems in families, neighborhoods, and the community as a whole. Crossing the Invisible Line 2 “Tellin’ It Like It Is” focused primarily on the Adult Child of an Alcoholic syndrome and Codependency  issues, with again implications to family, neighborhood and community. In the past ten years BWMP has engaged in many projects including mass media campaigns, Women Standing in Love - a monthly community vigil against substance abuse and violence; and a series of “Be Still” meditation retreats cosponsored with the Bay Area Black United Fund's Critical Mass Health Conductors.