Yolo Akili Robinson

Yolo Akili Robinson is a writer, healing justice worker, certified yoga teacher, and the founder and executive director of BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective). An American activist, writer, poet, counselor, and community organizer, Robinson has focused his career on advocating for the mental and emotional health needs of the Black community.

After graduating from Georgia State University, Robinson worked as a counselor, yoga instructor, and poet, and released a spoken word album of poetic meditations on sexual identity titled "Purple Galaxy." Transitioning into community organizing, he joined AID Atlanta's HIV prevention team and served as a life support counselor at National AIDS & Education Services to Minorities.

Motivated by the disconnect between mental healthcare access in the Black community and the lack of recognition of the intersection between emotional trauma, recovery, and abuse in HIV/AIDS and domestic violence organizations, Robinson founded BEAM. The organization is named in honor of Joseph Beam, a cultural and political activist who inspired Robinson to reflect on his personal vulnerability as a Black gay man. Through BEAM, Robinson works to remove barriers to Black healing through training, education, advocacy, and art-based activism. He has cited the lack of emotional health support from licensed professionals as inspiration for training individuals in Black communities—including grocery clerks, family members, and barbers—to provide support where it might otherwise be unavailable.

Robinson was recruited by Children's Hospital Los Angeles to lead a $10 million National Institutes of Health research initiative focused on improving health outcomes for young Black and Latino men, known as the Healthy Young Men's Study.

Robinson is the author of the social justice-themed affirmation book "Dear Universe: Letters of Affirmation & Empowerment For All Of Us," a work that led to his recognition as a "Health Hero" by BET. He also contributed to Tarana Burke and Brené Brown's bestseller "You Are Your Best Thing." Writing for Shondaland, Robinson has detailed his experiences overcoming domestic violence, the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in abusive relationships, and the importance of addressing trauma without normalizing destructive behavior. His writings and work have appeared in Shondaland, GQ, Women's Health, USA Today, Vice, and Ebony.

Robinson has received recognition from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy for Minority Mental Health Month, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Award, a feature at the BET Awards, and a Ford Foundation Global Fellowship. Through BEAM, Robinson sponsors community engagement events that teach Black individuals how to recognize their emotional needs, develop self-care practices, and identify organizations that offer support during times of trauma. His leadership at BEAM has been supported by major foundations including MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Ben and Jerry's Foundation, and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, as well as public figures such as Jordan Peele, Kelly Rowland, Chloe x Halle, and Tia Mowry.

Robinson has been an invited presenter at the National Academy of Sciences, Math and Engineering, The Milken Institute, and The Congressional Black Caucus Conference. He has also delivered keynotes at universities and colleges including Vanderbilt, Claremont McKenna, Ramapo College, and Columbia University. Under his leadership, BEAM has developed evidence-based interventions that teach Black-centered crisis support skills, emotionally intelligent leadership strategies for community activists, and anti-patriarchal mental health approaches for Black masculine individuals and men. Robinson is recognized for his expertise at the intersection of mental health, social justice, and healing, drawing on both lived experience and professional knowledge.