Author: Elmina Bell

Author

Elmina Bell

Elmina Bell (she/they) is an Indigenous African psycho-spiritual practitioner. She has a background in crisis counseling and is rooted in the various Indigenous African practices of her ancestral lineages and Disability Justice principles. This article submission is an excerpt from a series on Elmina's journey in bipolar neurodigence, African ancestral spiritualities, and Disability Justice. The article features quotes/inspiration from the renowned Black woman playwright Ntozake Shange, who also lived with what the Western world defines as bipolar. Elmina explores how Indigenous African psycho-spiritual approaches reflect the affective-cognitive epistemologies of African-centered frameworks.

Black Wellness

A Reflection on Bipolar from an Ancestral Psycho-Spiritual Perspective ft. Mama Ntozake Shange

by Elmina Bell March 31, 2026 0

The Western world historically has viewed intense emotional expressions as “lunacy”, where moon energy and emotions were portrayed as dangerously irrational,... Read more.