Why Racism Is a Public Health Issue & What You Can Do to Help
The Black community represents 13.4% of the American population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of those, over 16% reported having a mental illness in the past year — that is over 7 million people. For some perspective, Black adults in the U.S. are 20% more likely to report serious psychological distress than white adults. Yet, only 30% of African American adults with mental illness receive treatment each year, compared to the U.S. average of 43%. Top barriers that prevent African Americans from seeking treatment and receiving quality care are racism, racial trauma, and socioeconomic factors, which limit access to treatment options.
In other words, “Racism is a public health crisis,” as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recently stated.
There are a number of resources, organizations, and companies dedicated to supporting Black people’s mental health. Here are a few that could be useful to you, your friends, family, and colleagues.
Mental Health Resources For the Black Community:
Therapy For Black Girls is a platform that helps find trusted and competent therapists to place with Black women and girls. Founded by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, it also has an online community-based space The Yellow Couch Collective, which focuses on helpful advice, support, and inclusion for young professionals. Support its mission of advocating for Black female mental health by donating here as well as supporting the brand’s shop.
Inclusive Therapists
The platform serves as a directory to match with professional care that prioritizes the inclusion and understands specific struggles of all identities, abilities, and race. The community-based online space also offers workshops and training with learning series on topics like racial traumas in which one can receive a certificate for their own therapy practice upon completing the course. To support its free work, you can sponsor a therapist’s membership or learner’s training in increments of just $10 which applies directly towards mental health care training, community help, and individual support to its BIPOC and minority-identified therapists.
The Nap Ministry
The Nap Ministry is an organization that advocates for rest as a form of resistance against burnout culture and capitalism more broadly. Black Americans “have never really had our place in capitalism,” other than as its engine, since slavery, says founder Tricia Hersey. Through the Nap Ministry, Hersey guides Atlanta-based sessions of “rest coaching” and is now offering virtual workshops as well.
Sista Afya
Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness focuses on inclusive mental health and well-being in four ways: education, resource connection, community support, and its online shop. The company’s merchandise includes helpful journals, educational books, and encouraging cards with money spent being donated back into the organization. In addition to therapy and teletherapy with customized payment plans, it also offers low-cost online and in-person workshops and events in the Chicago area. In the past three years, the company has worked with over 700 young Black women and you can support its monumental work by donating here.
National Queer and Trans Therapist of Color Network
National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) is a healing justice organization committed to transforming mental health for queer and trans people of color (QTPoC). We work at the intersection of movements for social justice and the field of mental health to integrate healing justice into both of these spaces. Our overall goal is to increase access to healing justice resources for QTPoC. You can learn more about the Mental Health Fund (MFH) here.
The Unplug Collective
Unplug is a community where Black and Brown womxn and non-binary folks can share their stories about existing in their bodies without being silenced or censored. A virtual safe space, a digital healing circle, a budding fashion magazine, Unplug seeks to increase representation among marginalized voices through editorial photoshoots, video shoots, op-eds, and submissions from the public. The community also offers free group therapy and discounted individual therapy.
Beam Collective
BEAM is a national nonprofit that focuses on training non-mental health professionals and providers with skills to offer healing justice informed peer support services and first responder support, funding healing, and mental health efforts led by Black wellness professionals and developing leaders for the purpose of helping Black people nationwide heal.
Black Girl in Om
Founded by Lauren Ash, Black Girl In Om is a global platform that provides a “space for women of color to breathe easy,” offering holistic wellness workshops largely based in journaling, mind-clearing meditation, and body-restoring yoga. Recently, Ash launched The Circle, a new digital initiative that provides members with journaling prompts, thought exercises, and guided meditations to further support the global community of black women and women of color
Dive in Well
Dive In Well began as a dinner series but is now a movement actively diversifying the space of mental health awareness with several hands-on practices. The Pool is its ongoing series of online workshops and its in-person Free Swim classes (currently online due to COVID) are donation-based conversations taught by its community members. To support, donate to Dive In Well directly, here. Once donated, you’ll receive a complimentary E-workbook with insightful information, lessons and exercises one can apply to their own practice.
Ethel’s Club
While Williamsburg social and wellness hub Ethel’s Club—which offers working, gathering, and performance spaces designed specifically with people of color in mind—had to close its brick-and-mortar location, founder Naj Austin has transitioned their community online. During this challenging time for the black community, Ethel’s Club has been offering free online gatherings, performances, and healing sessions.
Harriet’s Apothecary
Harriet’s Apothecary is a “healing village led by Black Cis Women, Queer & Trans healers, artists, activists & ancestors, centering the genius of Black, Indigenous & POC folk.” They are currently offering a handful of resources, including support groups, AMAs, healing circles, a storytime series, and more.
Healhaus
HealHaus is a Brooklyn-based membership healing space that was created by founders Darian Hall and Elisa Shankle to provide accessible and inclusive wellness to their community. They offer virtual wellness retreats, sound baths, and healing groups. While closed physically, they are offering free virtual events via Zoom and private sessions across a variety of disciplines, like astrology, tarot, energy healing, coaching, or holistic medicine.
Funds That You Can Donate To Now:
The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness COVID-19 Women’s Relief Fund
“The COVID-19 Relief Fund for Black Women and Families will provide mini-grants to women to meet their family’s immediate needs for food, housing, childcare, toiletries, medication, healthcare-related costs, or other critical expenses,” says the foundation’s website. The application requires a fairly short survey, and you will be granted funds based on verification of the request, the need expressed in your complete application, and the availability of funds.
Black Earth Farm Foods Donations
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Black Earth Farms in the East Bay of San Francisco is now accepting donations via its Venmo account (@blackearthfarms) to deliver boxes of fresh, free food to Black people who have been arrested, bailed, traumatized, or injured. The farm will also donate to members of the Black community who are responsible for organizing funds for those awaiting bail and protestors who need medical attention. Direct message Black Earth Farms on Instagram for more information.
The Loveland Foundation
Founded in 2018 by Rachel Cargle, The Loveland Foundation supports Black females looking for therapy as well as provides financial assistance through donations. Its goal for 2020 is to provide 1,000 Black women and girls with 4-8 covered therapy sessions. According to the org’s site, if 6 people donate $20 it would cover one therapy session so donate here.
The Nina Pop Mental Health Recovery Fund and the Tony McDade Mental Health Recovery Fund
The Okra Project, a New York City organization, has launched mental health funds in honor of both Tony McDade and Nina Pop, which will purchase therapy sessions with licensed Black practitioners for trans people. The Tony Dade Mental Health Recovery Fund will benefit trans men and the Nina Pop Mental Health Recovery Fund benefits trans women (Okra Project encourages anyone who identifies “under the Transgender umbrella” to apply to the fund which most aligns with their identity). They’ve contributed $15,00 to each fund and are asking community members to match their totals. People can also donate sessions with their own Black, licensed therapists. Donate to both funds here, and apply for sessions at the hyperlinks for each fund above.
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Whichever way you choose to grieve, process, and/or stand in solidarity, know that you’re not alone — and that you and your wellness matter.
