For many of us, the post-holiday blues are settling in. With the festivities behind us, 2025 is starting to feel real… And with the L.A .wildfires… It’s a lot. (We’re thinking of and praying for you, West Coast sistas ❤️🩹 )
This new administration brings challenges, like increasing police immunity at a time when we need more accountability.
It’s okay to feel scared or uncertain. But Sis, let’s be clear: we’ve faced tough times before, and we’ll get through this together.
Our New Year resolutions *scratch that* intentions are all about what truly matters: protecting our Sistahood, taking care of our mental health, and standing strong for our families and communities.
Resources like The Right Response and local organizations are key to this work, offering non-police, community-driven solutions for mental health and substance use crises.
It starts with us as the mothers, caretakers, and support systems for our families and loved ones. Let’s make 2025 the year we rise, one action at a time.
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
— Audre Lorde
Sista Spotlight
In our community, we team up when needed.
But don’t get it twisted; our Sistas are out there changing lives on their own.
Today, get to know one of our Sistas and see how she inspires us!
Our Founder, Tansy, had a feature interview with CanvasRebel magazine in late December. Check out her lessons “unlearned” advice and share with us what you have had to unlearn to reach your life’s purpose.
Sista Notice: We’d love to host more in-person Sista CheckIns across cities this year, but we need your leadership to make it happen. If you’re interested in hosting, reply to this email, and let’s plan to bring the checkins to your city!
Your Expertise is Needed!
We’re completely revamping The Right Response Directory and need your input to ensure it meets our community’s needs.
This critical resource connects you to alternative first-response programs offering compassionate support through peer responders, clinicians, and trained EMTs for calls like welfare checks, noise complaints, traffic incidents, and mental health crises.
Your feedback is vital for us to improve. Please take a few minutes to complete our confidential survey. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
What We’re Reading
1M4 was honored to support Youthcast Media Group and connect them with our comrade Jackie Horton to help Dominique Wallace share her story. Dominique’s heartbreaking loss of her husband to police violence highlights the devastating impact of the criminalization of mental illness in our community.
Thank you to MindSite News for featuring this important piece: Four Years After Her Husband’s Killing by Police, Dominque Wallace Opens Up About Staying Strong for Her Five Kids.
A Mental Health Tip For You!
If 2025 is already stressing you out, you’re not alone. When life feels overwhelming, Grounding techniques are a great way to stay present and calm, no matter where you are. One simple method to try is the “5-4-3-2-1” exercise, which you can do anywhere—whether you’re running errands, sitting in the car, or relaxing at home:
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5: Name five things you can see around you.
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4: Identify four things you can touch.
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3: Listen for three sounds you can hear.
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2: Notice two things you can smell.
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1: Focus on one thing you can taste.
This quick practice helps ease anxiety, center your thoughts, and regain a sense of control. Make it part of your daily routine, or explore other grounding exercises to support your mental health in the new year.
Spread Some Blessings!
The consequences of police violence extend far beyond the loss of life. For families affected, it’s the loss of income, the sacrifice of basic necessities, and the start of a high-cost legal fight. If you have the capacity, consider donating to 1M4. Proceeds help support impacted families and sustain the work of 1M4 toward ending police violence for good.
From news of wildfires, snow storms, the incoming U.S. Administration and Meta ditching factchecking to everything else going on, it’s hard not to feel like we’re living in the opening scenes of an apocalypse. But we can get through this. Together, we’ve built a Sistahood that thrives on love, strength, and looking out for one another, no matter how wild the world gets.
So, while the headlines might feel ominous, let’s stay focused on what we can control: protecting our families, prioritizing our mental health, and building safer, stronger communities. The future may feel uncertain, but one thing is clear—we’ve got the tools, the resources, and most importantly, each other. Let’s keep showing up, Sis.
Your Sistas In ALL Of This,
The Ladies Of 1M4
January 20: MLK Day
As we honor Dr. King’s legacy this MLK Day, we reflect on the ongoing struggle against police violence and the long history of brutality against our community. Dr. King fought tirelessly against systemic injustice, and his words remind us that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
This is a day of service and a call to action. Let’s continue his work by organizing, connecting, and standing up against the systems that harm us.
February 8: Confronting the Stigma Mental Health Fair
1M4 is partnering to host a mental health event focused on resources for Black and Brown men at the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture on February 8th! We’ll have a table onsite sharing information about The Right Response and engaging with local community members about their experiences with alternative response models. Join us there—we’d love to meet you in person!
You Got Your 1M4 Merch Yet?
Visit the 1M4 merch store to make sure you’re representing at court support, protests, or in line at your favorite coffee spot. We want to see YOU in your 1M4 gear. Every purchase goes directly to funding the work of 1M4 increasing access to safety and wellness.
The Mental Health Literacy Collaborative (MHLC) has officially launched its MHL Aware Certification Training.
Mental Health Literacy (MHL) Aware is a 60-minute training (with an optional certification) that benefits professional, personal, and community needs for knowledge, language, and confidence around the topic of mental health. This training is the first step in guiding people to successfully integrate MHL into the fabric of their community. The Aware training focuses on educating individuals about 1) What MHL is, 2) Why it is beneficial, and 3) How they can bring this information to their community. In addition to these core focus areas, the training provides basic, real-world application strategies. The cost is $30 per person for live trainings and $25 for the asynchronous course. Group rates are also available by contacting info@themhlc.org.
