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Mental Illness, A Taboo That Needs to Be Addressed

Published

11 years ago

March 11, 2014

Mental illness has always been a taboo subject in Black communities, kept behind closed doors, viewed as “family business” and swept under the rug.

Some say it is more stigmatized than HIV/AIDS. African Americans comprise 14 percent of the United States population but more than 25 percent of the nation’s mental health needs.

Itis past time to begin reshaping and reinvigorating the public conversation on Black mental health.

Intent on shining a light in the darkness of shame and stigma, Alameda County’s Behavioral Health Care Services held a luncheon for over 100 mental health provides/case managers, educators and administrations, consumers, families members attended. It was part of a full day of speakers, workshops, addressing the disparity of the over-utilization of services; higher rates of recidivism and poor outcomes African Americans are facing around mental health.

Carl C. bell, M.D, former president/CEO of the Mental Health council in Chicago, IL., was the keynote speaker. He offered insights and support towards meeting goals to reduce mental health disparities for the African American community, following the recommendations outlined in a 2010 Alameda County African American Utilization Report.

“You’re already doing the work”, Bell told the packed audience.

“Rebuild the village, culture helps people flourish,” says Bell. “We need cultural and spiritual nuances, beliefs, practices and norms specific to the African American community. These should be incorporated into the planning, delivery and outcomes of mental health and co-occurring conditions services for this community”.

Over the past 30 years, Black male suicide rates have climbed by more than 200 percent. The depression rate among Black women is 50 percent higher than their white women.

Many African-Americans have a lot of negative feelings about mental health services, and many are not even aware of the mental health services that exist. They do not know the symptoms of many mental disorders, or they may believe that mental illness is a sign of weakness or of a character fault.

Blacks are a particularly high-risk population due to their over-representation within a context of social misery. Currently, Blacks account for 40 percent of the country’s homeless population and nearly 50 percent of the prison population.

Black children represent nearly 50 percent of all foster care and adoption cases. Additionally, almost 25 percent of Black youth are exposed to enough violence to meet the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder.

The fields of psychology and psychiatry historically have sometimes played a very negative role in the diagnosis of African-Americans and in the general sort of racist orientation towards African-Americans and their problems.

The stigma thus comes from two directions, from the community and at times from the professions themselves.

For example, how will professional react If a Black man tells his therapist that every time he’s stopped by a police officer, he gets very anxious and nervous and thinks something bad is going to happen? Would the patient be considered paranoid? If the professional does not understand the social reality in which the patient lives, the possibility is there for misunderstanding.

Exacerbating this problem, only 2 percent of psychologists and percent of social workers in the U.S. are African Americans. So an emphasis on cultural competence and trying to get therapists to be aware of the role that culture and social context can play in treatment is a very important thing.

African Americans tend to rely on family, religious and social communities for emotional support rather than turning to health care. When the church plays a role, it can be a very positive force in the community, which has been seen. People who are more spiritually inclined often have better outcomes.

If folks get the appropriate treatment, they can have good outcomes.

Now is time to address the structural issues can contribute to Black mental health. Now is the time to spotlight the connection between mental health and other social problems plaguing the Black community.

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Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

5 days ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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1 week ago

May 30, 2025

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

1 week ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”