Tl;dr? Only 3-4% of professional herbalists are Black. That means maybe only 1% or less are clinical herbalists, equipped to work with clients and stand in the gap that a lack of holistic care has created in our modern medical system. A Black and queer clinical herbalist is starting a Black-led holistic herbalism school and contributions go toward operating expenses, teacher compensation, potential scholarships.

Black herbalists have always been scientists. Our biggest mistake is to believe otherwise and paint intellectualism as a deviation from our culture and who we are. What we often are revolting against is a colonial system that was built to hinder our progression on a systemic level. Somehow knowing, science, and community learning has become intertwined with that system.

Black Alchemy School of Herbalism, BASHH, was born as an offering and solution. It is a virtual education space for people who want to learn herbalism in a Black-led container where science and spirit are united to best serve our community.

But what does going to herbalism school mean? It means that someone has the desire to learn from and with community to gain a lineage of peers, teachers, mentors, and in-depth study. They want to learn the history, philosophy, chemistry, nutrition, physiology, and what it means to be in right relationship with nature. Most importantly, they want to be named by their community as an herbalist and healer, someone found competent through peer review to hold the title with responsibility. They have a curious heart and want to go deeper.

While there is need for this across every realm of herbal practice, our inaugural program will be a 600+ hour clinical herbalism program designed to prepare students to graduate and move straight into clinical practice. The curriculum includes human sciences, nutrition, botany, farming/gardening, trauma-informed care, business, Black diasporic healing philosophy, and our course the herbs.

This is where I need your support. I am starting BASHH from the ground up and I have two main goals: supporting teachers with higher compensation and 2 full scholarships for African-American students. Please consider contributing to our scholarship fund today.

Contribute to Black Alchemy School of Holistic Herbalism