Oh hey, homeslice. Welcome to another round of Mental Health Monday, your weekly dose of stories, resources, and motivation for your everyday life. Check out the rest of our mental wellness content here.
Taraji P. Henson Launches Nonprofit Organization for Black Mental Health - Victoria Johnson (Complex)
"My dad fought in The Vietnam War for our country, returned broken, and received little to no physical and emotional support," she said in a press statement earlier this week. "I stand now in his absence, committed to offering support to African Americans who face trauma daily, simply because they are black."
Because everyone could use a little centering and a reminder to breathe, here’s a guided meditation from Madame Toni Blackman, the first Hip-Hop Ambassador to the U.S. State Department. It’s from her Walking Through The Fear mixtape, and goes beautifully with her guided affirmations.
Want some mo’? Toni also has an Affirmation Meditation and it’s right here.
It’s time to talk about why so many Black people decide their only path to relief is by suicide - George M. Johnson (The Grio)
“We live in a country where racism has permeated every system of life, rendering many Black kids with the inability to enjoy the beauty of safe and comfortable childhood. If it isn’t the pressure of growing up within a fractured K-12 school system that relies on a school to prison pipeline structure, then it is a home environment that is not conducive to discussing mental health.”
“Black Mental Health Podcast 012: I Wanted To Commit Suicide At 11 Years Old”
Over on the Black Mental Health Podcast, Blogger Shaynekqua Foster opened up about her mental health journey from being suicidal at 11 years old, navigating being gay with religious parents, contending with the stress of adulthood, and how she manages her mental health. Check out her insightful conversation with host Reginald.
I Won't Let Them Have you, Ms. Aretha: On Surviving Grief and Reclaiming Black Joy After Death - Ashley May (RaceBaitr)
For as long as I can remember, I have experienced death as a celebration of life. Funeral programs outlining the details of what was most often called a Home-Going Celebration and it read like a playbill with various acts. Slideshows, testaments of beautiful memories, song and hymn, and then the announcement of the repast. Everybody wants to know where the repast will be. Because that’s when the celebration truly starts.
For Black College Students, Balancing Activism and Mental Health Takes Work - Brianna Reddick (The Nation)
Engaging in activism at a traditional, Southern, mostly white college helped me learn and grow as a black woman. I took what I learned in the classroom, fused it with my concern for social injustice, and put it into practice through activism. But now, as I return to campus this fall for my last year of college, I plan to balance my desire to fight for justice with the need to care for myself.
Behold the rest of our Mental Health Monday series here.