Community Centered Herbalism
The next course begins on September 2nd, 2026. Apply below.
Online herbal education for Everyone (including White Allies)
Feel supported, grounded, and equipped with basic herbal knowledge to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Why Community Centered Herbalism?
Community Centered Herbalism is specifically calling in white allies that are actively committed to unlearning white supremacy, being anti racist, anti colonial, and wanting to engage in collective conversations about intentional relationality with the earth.
Explore herbal medicine making practices alongside topics like entitlement and white supremacy’s impact on land relations, approaches to anticolonial land connections, politics of herbalism, and more.
The details:
The course is offered via Zoom live stream for full participation. In addition, a recorded option with closed captioning is uploaded each week.
Deadline to apply is August 1st, 2026!
WHEN: 6 Weekly sessions 5 - 7:30pm PST *
DATES: Wednesday Nights September 2nd, 9th, 16th & 30th, October 14th & 21st, 2026
OFFERING: $1111. Full payment due by September 1st or two monthly installments of $555.50.
*Payment plans and accommodations/support are definitely available for folks who need them.
IMPORTANT:
This is a Queer and Trans friendly space. We use gender-neutral language when addressing the entire class. We are also super thoughtful with people's pronouns. We ask, we remember, and we respect the pronouns people use.
What to expect:
Our Community Centered Herbalism classes are an engaging experience filled with different activities that encourage you to be curious with plants and their wisdom. Our space invites you to first be present with yourself as you learn the class material and also be present with others in our virtual space. There are always opportunities to share, speak your truth, ask questions, and contribute to the learning.
Online Class Structure:
Hood Herbalism™ offers a blend of community conversation, self-reflection, teaching and medicine making demonstrations. Each class includes:
Hi, my name is Berenice. I am a queer herbalist who was born in Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) and grew up on Tongva lands (El Monte, CA) since I was 3 years old. My Ancestors are from Michoacan, El Valle de Toluca, and Guanajuato in Mexico. Plants have been part of my life for many years. My mother was my first herbal teacher. She raised my two sisters and I with herbal medicine and remedios caceros (home remedies). The classes are informed by my mother's teachings, wisdom that many teachers have shared with me along the way, and the relationship I've had with plants since I was a kid.
I've been facilitating learning spaces for 16 years now. After High School, I went the academic rout and got both a B.A. and M.A. Once I finished my M.A., I worked as a High School Teacher in East Oakland, CA. Being in the classroom with young people changed my life. They challenged me and taught me that teaching was not about teaching at all but rather, it was about supporting people through a process and journey. After Teaching at the High School, I transitioned into district wide Mediation, Restorative, and Transformative Justice work. Eventually, I launched my passion project Hood Herbalism™ in 2016 which has now become my life path. I've been following the energy of Hood Herbalism™ since. Currently, I am also in midwifery school.
In class, my facilitation style is very hands on, collective, and engaging. I share what I know and I am also invested in providing a mutual learning experience where people are encouraged to share their own knowledge and contribute what they know. Thank you for visiting our site and for being interested in the classes.
Jessica Angélica (she, her, hers)
Jess was born and raised on Tongva land. She has roots in El Salvador, Guatemala, & Northern Mexico. Jessica is a queer tía, dog mom and proud Scorpio sun. She is called to herbalism by teachings, knowledge and medicine sent by her grandmothers. Jessica is particularly passionate about expanding her relationship with plants in order to support cycles of intergenerational healing and peace in her family and communities.
Jessica's lived and work experience is grounded in abolition and reproductive justice frameworks. She has worked for reintegration programs for formerly incarcerated folks in LA and as a family planning health worker with LA youth. She came to the Hood Herbalism family 4 years ago and began facilitating intro classes in the summer of 2019. As a facilitator, Jess supports students in building relationships with plants and herbal medicine making.
with John Jairo (they/he)
John is a community worker and mixed-media artist. They were born and raised on Tongva lands in the neighborhoods of Bassett and Boyle Heights. John has roots from the Chihuahuan Desert (West Texas/Chihuahua), Central Mexico (Aguascalientes), and the Colombian Andes (Antioquia). They were first called to herbalism as a child, playing with dirt and dried leaves to make "potions," then by reading the book Bless Me, Ultima by Rodulfo Anaya that was gifted to them by their tía at 12 years old. This book gently nudged them on this path. Living in the Bay Area, as a student at UC Berkeley, their herbalism journey became solidified as they began to learn from different teachers and workshops at the Multicultural Community Center and other spaces.
Coming back to Los Angeles, John Jairo was part of the first Hood Herbalism cohort and is now honored to be able to support new participants in their journeys. This learning journey has inspired lots of remembering in their family and themself. John Jairo acknowledges that building a relationship with plants is a lifelong journey and they are grateful to the plants for teaching them patience and how to move slowly.
Yes, Hood Herbalism™ is 100% online at this time. Given everything happening with the pandemic, we decided to only host online classes this year. Maybe next year we will reconsider going back to in-person.
Hood Herbalism™ is a community-based herbal education project. You are not necessarily "attending herb school" and we are not "training you to be herbalists." You do not get a certificate of any sorts but you do embark on a deep transformational journey with yourself, each other, and with the plants.
The class is very flexible. Show up as you are with the capacity that you have to engage with our online learning community. Every reading, resource and reflection is optional. There is no such thing as being “behind” in class. You are always on your own path within it.
This class is open to everyone, including white allies. If you identify as BIPOC and want to be in a space with only BIPOC folks, then consider applying for Hood Herbalism™, our Intro To Herbalism Class instead.
Payment plans and accommodations/support are definitely available for folks that need it. There are also scholarships available. Priority will be give to Black folks. In the application, there is a tab where you can either request a payment plan or a scholarship.
Refunds for class are available 72 hours before the first day of class.
Ready to join us?
