It has been said countless times you should learn something new every day. Well, I just recently learned that the month of July has been designated as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. More on how this designated month came about in a moment.
To admit you have a mental health issue or that someone in your family is challenged with mental health in the African American community and other communities of color is still pretty much taboo even in the twenty-first century. What a shame. Because of conditioning over the years, many of us are still embarrassed to admit you get depressed sometimes and need someone to talk to or that you have anxiety because of certain things that may have happened in your life. You are expected to “get it together,” to figure it out on your own, or simply “stop acting crazy”.
When you are in a family that is open-minded and strong enough to seek out help for a loved one with mental health issues, back in the day when I was a kid, that ”sick” relative was only whispered about. If they still lived at home and were not put away in a mental institution, it was as if they were locked away in a back bedroom, and all meals were given to them in their room. They were the family secret or embarrassment as the case may have been.
Fast-forward to the year 2021, and I’m not sure how much better things have gotten over the years. I think one of the good news notes is that today there are many more licensed, practicing African American Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Therapists than there ever were before. That’s important because patients who need mental health care oftentimes may do better, under treatment, from someone who understands the Black experience if you will. While there are more licensed black therapists, they are still a small percentage of the total number of professionals.
I’m thankful for people like PA State Senator Vincent Hughes and his wife movie star Sheryl Lee Ralph, who for years have hosted a “Breaking the Silence” conference in Philadelphia twice a year to address mental health in the African American community. That conference and others like it are so critical.
Mark your calendar now for Thursday, July 8, 2021, when a national virtual symposium will take place all about mental health in our communities. Thanks to Congressman Albert Wynn, in May 2008, the US House of Representatives announced July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Congressman Wynn [D-MD] sponsored the legislation, and it was co-sponsored by a large bipartisan group to achieve two goals: Improve access to mental health treatment and services and promote public awareness of mental illness. Naming a month as the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month will help to enhance public awareness of mental illness and mental illness among minorities.
Over my years as a radio talk show host, I interviewed Bebe Moore Campbell at least eight times as she was introducing one of her latest books to the world. She was a well-respected and sought-after author, advocate, co-founder of the National Alliance on Mental Health Illness, Urban Los Angeles Chapter, and national spokesperson who passed away in November 2006. She received NAMI’s 2003 Outstanding Media Award for Literature. She also advocated for mental health education and support among individuals of diverse communities. In 2005, inspired by Campbell’s charge to end stigma and provide mental health information, her friend of many years, Linda Wharton-Boyd suggested dedicating a month to the effort.
They got to work outlining the concept of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and what it would entail. With the support of the D.C. Department of Mental Health and then-mayor Anthony Williams, they held a news conference in Southeast D.C., where they encouraged residents to get mental health checkups.
Support continued to build as Campbell and Wharton-Boyd held book signings, spoke in churches, and created a National Minority Mental Health Taskforce of friends and allies. However, the effort came to a halt when Campbell became too ill to continue.
When Campbell lost her battle to cancer, Wharton-Boyd, friends, family, and allied advocates reignited their cause, inspired by the passion of the life of an extraordinary woman. They did their homework and ultimately obtained the support of Representatives Albert Wynn [D-MD] and Diane Watson [D-CA], who co-signed legislation to create an official minority mental health awareness month.
The Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month Symposium as shared earlier takes place on July 8th. To be a part of this virtual online event, you must pre-register at https://cvent.me/yqdW4w.
Patrice Gaines, another good friend to the late BeBe Moore Campbell, is one of the individuals working on the planning committee for the symposium. Gaines stated, “As we present this symposium in a few days, we want to lift up Bebe’s name, her memory, and her passion to help educate our community and other communities of color about mental health issues and where to go for help.
Our program will feature national mental health thought leaders, health experts, and advocates to discuss the state of mental health in communities of color. Featured speakers include Dr. Thema Bryant Davis, Licensed Psychologist, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Culture and Trauma Research Lab Pepperdine University, and Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, the National Alliance on Mental Health Illness, (NAMI), along with a host of presenters. This will be a powerful event you don’t want to miss. Register now.”
Bebe Moore Campbell, you should know, was one of us, a native Philadelphian and a graduate of Philadelphia High School for Girls.
