For the Black Community, Mental Health Access Is Long Overdue
In the midst of the pandemic that has disproportionately affected communities of color and amid calls for racial justice in response to police violence, the need to support Black mental health has never been more apparent.
The mental health of the Black community in the United States has unquestionably been negatively affected during this time and unfortunately, the majority of Black Americans have inadequate access to mental health resources. However, several organizations are working to change that by providing the resources necessary to empower and enable Black Americans to take mental health action.
Therapy for Black Girls is just one of the many organizations that are specifically aiming to provide support for Black Americans as a part of the Mental Health Is Health initiative. Dr. Joy Harden Bradford is hosting a free Zoom session on Mental Health Action Day to discuss options for connecting with therapists and strategies to practice self care and self compassion, as well as teaming up with Reddit to host an AMA.
The Safe Place is a mental health app that is specifically geared towards the Black community, as the free app provides a variety of resources to help users in their mental health journey, including Black mental health statistics, self-care tips, mental illness descriptions, and self-assessment questions.
NAACP Youth & College will host a Mental Health Week of Action on May 17th-21st. Additionally, members across the country will be taking action on May 20th to move from awareness to action and provide mental health resources and support for Black college students and young people.
Equity Alliance, BET, Black Girls Getting Their SHIFT Together, Represent Justice, Community Voices Heard, and Color of Change are other partners committed to making mental health action more accessible and achievable for the Black community.
With proper resources and support, we can begin to ensure a more equitable mental health landscape, in which Black communities are empowered to take action on their mental health.
