What Wellness Really Means: Four Black Women Leaders Share Their Practice
Contributing writer Tiffany Johnson talks with four Black women leaders in Minnesota, Reverend Joan Austin of Endure Women’s Ministries, Kelsey Joson of InControl, Dr. Ayanna Rakhu of Sankofa Swim International, and arts leader Serena Wright, about what wellness means across their very different fields. Their answers reveal common threads: protecting daily rituals, finding movement in small joys, and building community that tells the truth with love.
When you hear the word wellness, what comes to mind?
I posed that question to four Black women leaders across sectors in Minnesota: Reverend Joan Austin, founder of Endure Women’s Ministries, a nonprofit supporting women in ministry; Kelsey Joson, founder and CEO of InControl, a wellness hub for adults with disabilities; Dr. Ayanna Rakhu, founder and CEO of Sankofa Swim International, promoting healing for Black and brown bodies through water; and Serena Wright, arts leader and former director in the University of Minnesota’s Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs.
I invited each of them to share her perspective on what wellness means and how it shapes different areas of life. What emerged was a reservoir of wisdom, revealing the many ways wellness takes root, and the many ways these women have built their own leadership around it.
Reverend Austin has served as an ordained minister for more than 25 years, and for the past decade she’s run her own nonprofit. “To me, wellness means being well-rounded spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. It’s about nurturing each of those aspects of ourselves as we navigate the different experiences and challenges of life,” she said.
“I was at a point where I wanted to give up in ministry, and during prayer, the Lord told me not to give up. He said ‘He needed me to endure,’ and that’s where the name came from.” The name is also an acronym: Equipped, Nurtured, Devoted, United, Renewed and Empowered.
Joson, founder of InControl, has built her career around others’ wellness. “When I hear wellness, what comes to mind is how someone takes care of their body, and not just physically. Wellness was never meant to be one dimensional. It is everything that goes into being a whole human being, the mental piece, the emotional piece, the spiritual piece, all working together to create a firm foundation,” she said.
“InControl is devoted to solving the quality of life crisis for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Minnesota. We provide in-home coaching focused on physical health, nutrition and social emotional wellbeing, meeting clients exactly where they are and helping them build real agency and independence in their own lives.”
Dr. Rakhu leads Sankofa Swim International and serves on the board of V3 Sports, a wellness hub in North Minneapolis, teaching communities from Minnesota to Grenada. “When I hear the word wellness, I picture a set of scales,” she said. “Sometimes one side is heavier than the other, and sometimes they’re perfectly aligned. But the scales are always adjusting. That’s how I think about wellness.”
It’s no coincidence that Rakhu’s specialty exists in the world of water, where balance is essential for survival. She’s passionate about restoring healing in the Black community around its historic relationship with water, challenging stereotypes about Black people and swimming while acknowledging the historical trauma of the transatlantic slave trade and the African diaspora.
“I describe my work as liberation work because I believe healing our relationship with water is liberating,” she said. “The communities I serve are Black people and people of African descent. I’m especially concerned about that relationship. That’s where my work lies.”
Wright, a leader in Minnesota’s arts and education community, finds sanctuary in nature. “Nature has always been a part of who I am. I literally take the time to look at a leaf, because that brings me to life.” Her connection to nature feels fitting given her recent recognition at Flowers Now!: A Celebration of Black Elders of the Arts Community, presented by the Givens Collection of African American Literature in May 2026.
“Wellness is a body, mind and spirit connection,” Wright said. “It’s checking in with myself first, being willing to ask questions, seeking honest feedback and pushing through discomfort. I don’t want to be paralyzed by fear, because that’s how I continue to grow.”
Though Wright recently retired from her longstanding role at the University of Minnesota, she doesn’t see it as an ending, but as “a reset,” continuing part-time at the university while staying deeply engaged in the arts community.
These four women, different in practice, revealed real overlap in how they approach wellness, and leadership.
On community: “You don’t need people tearing you down. You need people who will tell you the truth with love,” Wright said.
On showing up over perfection: “I protect my mornings as time for myself first, before I give my attention to anything else,” Joson said.
On movement: “I really love to roller skate. It reminds me of my capability, reminds me of my joy,” Rakhu said. “Wellness doesn’t have to look like a gym. Movement can be the smallest things we do every day,” Wright added.
On where to start: “Start with prayer, because I know God will lead, guide and direct,” Austin said. Rakhu suggested something simpler: “Make a list. It gets things out of your head and into this world of manifestation.” Wright summed it up: “Wellness isn’t about taking one big step. It’s about the little things you do every day.”
Wellness looks different for everyone, but these women point to one universal truth: caring for ourselves allows us to better care for others. By investing in their own physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health, they’ve become stronger leaders, building lasting impact in the communities they serve.
To learn more, visit Endure Women’s Ministries at endurewomensministries.org, InControl at incontrolmn.com, or Sankofa Swim International at sankofaswim.com.
Tiffany Johnson is a contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. She welcomes reader responses at tjohnson@spokesman-recorder.com.
Tiffany Nicole Johnson
Tiffany Nicole Johnson is a marketer, writer and musician based in Minneapolis. Tiffany is a contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. She is also the associate director of marketing at… More by Tiffany Nicole Johnson
Based on reporting by Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
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