Black people have been fighting for equality for decades, and
justice is long overdue. As Black people, we endure racism in nearly every
aspect of our lives, from education, jobs, and housing, to the criminal justice
system and healthcare. Racism is deeply ingrained in every facet of our
lives. While the Black Lives Matter Movement is still in full swing, there is
one aspect of this movement we have continued to overlook–our mental health.
Racism also plays such a pivotal role in shaping the complexities of Black
mental health. It explains why our mental health differs from white people
and other non-Black POC but also why we culturally reject having discussions
around the topic.
There is a wide stigma surrounding mental health and how it’s
addressed in the Black community. Black celebrities such as Jennifer Lewis,
Jada Pinkett Smith, Kendrick Sampson, and Michelle Obama have been outspoken in
efforts to normalize the conversation by expressing their own struggles with
mental health in general, especially during this time of social unrest. And
while more conversations are being had, there is still a reluctance to invest
in and receive mental health care. But now, more than ever, it is important to
prioritize ourselves and put our needs first.
While the pandemic brought on by COVID-19 isn’t the sole reason
many people struggle with mental health, it has played a unique role in pushing
the conversation about why we need it. Black people are beginning to confront
emotions, traumatic experiences, and daily struggles that they may have
otherwise pushed aside. And seeking mental health care has become increasingly
more accepted. The effects of COVID-19 can be seen as both positive and negative,
but it sheds light on the many Black people who have been struggling in silence
for years.
All Black people have experienced or witnessed racist insults,
microaggressions, hate crimes, or even physical violence. Due to discrimination,
many marginalized groups face higher levels of stress. Racism is a known cause
of increased levels of depression and anxiety. These experiences often lead to
PTSD and generally increased levels of emotional distress. Racism can also lead
to internalized racism and self-hate, causing individuals to subconsciously or
consciously have negative beliefs about their blackness and their worth. As we
delve deeper into black mental health, racism also explains why we are so
reluctant to seek mental health care and why we ignore our own mental health
needs.
White America has imposed unrealistic stereotypes onto Black
people by putting us in a box and forcing us to be cautious of how we feel and
act in many settings.As Black men and women, we are acutely aware of
America’s labels of the “angry Black woman” or the “aggressive Black man,”
just two of the many stereotypes we continuously deal with. Consciously and
unconsciously, we have built an armor to protect ourselves from the pain of
these stereotypes.
EBONY spoke with Dr. Carolynne Garrison Howard, a Clinical
Psychologist in the Cleft and Craniofacial Center at Barrow Neurological
Institute,about how these racist experiences create underlying feelings
of disconnection and being misunderstood. “Many Black people experience
cultural depression, this underlying feeling of being depressed or feeling
disconnected that comes from experiencing racial inequality. Oftentimes, they
are highly sensitized about how they will be judged and perceived by other
people, putting up a guard for themselves or preparing for the possibility of
being misunderstood or mistreated.”
In Black spaces as well as White spaces, we have built ourselves
up as strong and invincible people, unable to be broken. In our efforts to
navigate racism, we ignore how heavily it impacts us. We bought into a
stereotype that felt powerful, only to recognize the harmful effects it has
created for our mental health. We have continuously neglected our pain and
normalized ignoring our feelings in the midst of learning how to deal with
racism and discrimination. And while reluctance is prevalent in most of the
Black community, being mindful of intersectionalities such as gender or
sexuality, also complicates how individuals acknowledge their feelings.
Dr. Erlanger Turner, a Licensed Psychologist and an Assistant
Professor at Pepperdine University, spoke with us about how intersectionality
plays an important role in dealing with mental health. “We face a lot of
challenges in society as Black men. One is dealing with masculinity and
openness about discussing our feelings and emotions. How we are socialized as
young boys, it is not normalized to talk about your emotions. And for Black
men, it may be really difficult for them to talk about their feelings, and
oftentimes they may not even make decisions on their own to go to
therapy.”
As we are fighting for change globally, we cannot afford to overlook our mental health. Now is the time to put ourselves first and learn how to confront our pain and grow. We can’t fight for this movement if we aren’t recharged and taking care of ourselves. It will be impossible for us to show up as friends, activists, parents, or siblings if we do not learn how to show up for ourselves. Learning how to stay in touch with our emotions, and our pain is an act of self-preservation. And while now more than ever, it is important to keep fighting for change, we also need to learn how to advocate for ourselves and our well-being.
Here are some resources focusing on Black wellness.
Resources
Hotline Numbers
- SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357
- NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-6264 or text “NAMI” to 741741
- NIMH Helpline: 1-866-615-6464
Podcasts
- Therapy For Black Girls
- The Breakdown with Dr. Earl: A Mental Health Podcast
- Between Sessions
Instagram Pages
- Dr. Nedra Glover Tawwab @Nedratawwab
- Dr. Jennifer Mullan @decolonizing therapy
- Minaa B., LMSW @minaa_b
Therapist Directories
- Ayana Therapy
- Therapy for Black Girls
- Melanin and Mental Health
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