Rooted in Purpose

Nina Westbrook on healing from the inside out, building a wellness movement for Black women, and the daily practice of staying grounded.

Wellness That Runs Deep, an intentional conversation centered on healing, wellness, and community. Moderated by Nina Westbrook, this year’s panel brings together an inspiring group of women whose voices continue to shape culture , storytelling, wellness, and meaningful change.

Wellness That Runs Deep, an intentional conversation centered on healing,

wellness, and community. Moderated by Nina Westbrook, this year’s panel

brings together an inspiring group of women whose voices continue to shape culture , storytelling, wellness, and meaningful change.

✦ Cari Champion

✦ Mara Brock Akil

✦ Anna Malaika Tubbs

✦ Tabitha Brown

There’s a particular kind of silence that only descends in a room full of women who feel seen. It settles like early morning, still, weighty, sacred. !at is the silence Nina Westbrook and her panel of women cultural architects ushered in for their guests. 

Founder of the Why Not Foundation, licensed therapist, and quiet architect of one of the most meaningful wellness movements in Black women’s circles today, Nina has spent years perfecting the art of holding space, not just in a therapy room, but in ballrooms, in apps and in the everyday moments in between.

On May 28th, for the fourth consecutive year, the Why Not Foundation’s Mental Health Wellness Brunch returned under the theme Rooted: Wellness That Runs Deep , an intentional conversation centered on healing, wellness, and community. In uncertain times, when the news cycle is relentless and societal pressures press hardest on Black and Brown women, there is something profoundly revolutionary about choosing to plant yourself. To say: I will not be swept away. 

I sat down with Nina in the glow of post-brunch energy, that particular warmth that lingers after a room full of women have laughed, wept, and held each other. Over conversation as unhurried as a Sunday morning, she opened up about healing, building community, and why she believes the wellness movement must become as culturally specific as it is accessible.

The 2026 “ROOTED” PANEL, WHY NOT FOUNDATION MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS BRUNCH

Q&A

Q: KASSHA BROWN, SHEEN MAGAZINE

The theme this year was “Rooted: Wellness that Runs Deep.” Take me inside that decision. Where did that word come from for you?

A: NINA WESTBROOK

“Rooted” came from exactly the feeling that so many of us have been living in, this sense of constant flux. The world feels unstable right now in a very real way, and I kept asking myself: what do people need when the ground beneath them feels uncertain? They need roots. They need to reconnect with who they fundamentally are, beneath the noise and the expectations and the grief. So the entire event, every speaker, every conversation, every intentional moment, was designed to help women come back to their center.To feel firm again.

Q: KASSHA BROWN, SHEEN MAGAZINE

The panel this year included Tabitha Brown, Anna Malaika Tubbs, and Mara Brock Akil, hosted beautifully by Cari Champion. How do you curate voices that truly serve the room?

A: NINA WESTBROOK

It’s deeply intentional. Every voice on that stage has to authentically serve the mission. Tabitha brings this grounding, nourishing energy. She reminds you that self-care isn’t a luxury, it’s a love language. Anna Malaika connected the dots between the historical strength of Black women and the healing work we’re doing today, that lineage matters.

And Mara… when Mara spoke, the room went quiet in a way that I can only describe as: have you ever been in the presence of Michelle Obama? That quality of presence where everyone just leans in and holds their breath? That was Mara. Cari held all of it together with such warmth and precision. She kept the energy safe and moving.

“When Mara spoke, the room went quiet in a way you only feel when something true is being said.”

— N I N A  W E S T B R O O K

NINA MODERATES THE STAGE PANEL DISCUSSION

L-R: MISCHA DUFFIE, ANTINA CAMPBELL

THE MOVEMENT

The Why Not Foundation brunch didn’t start as the cultural institution it has become. It grew, event by event, year by year, because Nina refused to let it plateau. Each gathering has outperformed the last, a testament not just to the vision but to the team that holds it. When I mention Amelia Williamson, Nina’s face softens into unmistakable gratitude 

L-R: TABITHA BROWN , NINA WESTBROOK, ANNA MALAIKA TUBBS, AND MARA BROCK AKIL

Q&A

Q: KASSHA BROWN, SHEEN MAGAZINE 

What does it feel like to watch this event grow each year? Is there pressure that comes with that ?

A: NINA WESTBROOK 

Absolutely there’s pressure, and I’d be lying if I said otherwise.But I’ve learned to trust the process and more importantly, to trust my team. Amelia consistently elevates everything she touches. Every year she raises the quality in ways that still surprise me. So yes, there are nerves, but underneath them is this deep sense of calm because I know we’ve done the work. And I think that’s true in life too, right? You do the inner work so that when the moment comes, you’re grounded enough to show up fully. 

Q: KASSHA BROWN, SHEEN MAGAZINE 

I understand this year’s brunch was intentionally not recorded. Tell me about that choice.

A: NINA WESTBROOK 

That was everything. We live in a world where people are always performing for the camera, mentally, they’re half there and half constructing a caption. I wanted women in that room to be fully present. To let themselves be moved without wondering who’s watching. There’s a medicine in physical gathering that a livestream simply cannot replicate. You feel it in your body: the collective breath, the shared tears, the laughter that travels through a room. That’s healing. That’s why we keep showing up in person. 

Why Culturally Centered Wellness Matters 

Traditional therapy was historically designed for and accessible mainly to weakly, non-diverse populations, leaving Black and Brown communities chronically underserved.

Black and Brown therapist are now creating culturally responsive mental health services that reflect the lives experiences of their communities. 

Mental health stigma in communities of color often stems from wellness being framed as mental illness rather than as everyday self care and emotional resilience 

Closing the gap requires both accessible tools, and ongoing education tailored to diverse cultural backgrounds.

Nina Westbrook’s work bridges the personal and the communal, meeting women where they are, not where the system expects them to be.