Prioritizing Mental Health in Communities of Color
The data has been rolling in these days, Covid-19 is disproportionately affecting communities of color all around the US.
The knowledge of this data has been triggering a lot for me and my friends who work with BIPOC on a daily basis. To deny that mental health is not also a concern in these times of isolation would be a lie.
This week my team connected with Dr. Shena Young of @kindredmedicine and Melody Sylvain of @meloandchill to discuss the importance of centering mental health in communities of color during this pandemic. As Dr. Shena says, “It is our birthright to be able to care for our whole beautiful ass selves!”
In these conversations we went over:
Why we should prioritize our mental health at this time
Tools that you can use to stay grounded
How the BIPOC community can benefit from learning more about mental health
What allies can do to help
Dr. Shena Young
Why is mental health important right now especially in communities of color?
Mental health is always important. I would argue that attending to our mental health is urgent, particularly during such a wild & uncertain time. Typically, when in dialogue about mental health, we hear discussions focusing on how the mind is impacted by circumstances and lived experiences. But I believe attending to our mental health is richest when approached holistically.
We are complex beings, and all of our parts are interconnected. Our minds and the ways in which we think or make meaning shows up in our bodies, our relationships, and spirits. As we navigate covid-19, what would be considered traumatic for many of us, we might find ourselves swimming in the memories of past traumas, in present worries, and future anxiety. These are all reasonable responses to an unprecedented moment in our world’s history.
For communities of color, we have the extra weight of intergenerational trauma, systemic racism/oppression, disenfranchisement, and inequity in access to resources. Nurturing our mental health is one of the few things we have control over right now and taking care to take in what we need in ways that nourish our minds, that undermine fear practices, and cushion our psyches from mental violence is a beautiful choice.
What does healing mean to you?
Healing is in process. (v.)
It is a process (n.)
It is something to own.
It is infinite —
Above & beyond.
It is mind & yours & ours.
It is time.
Healing is not just a mental exercise.
It requires all of you
mind, body, heart, & spirit.
How are you taking care of your "spiritual immune system" during this pandemic?
I see what you all did there! Thanks for the sweet mirror. Spiritual immunity is ritual, practice, and lifestyle for me. It ebbs and flows and changes with the tide of what’s happening in daily life and how it’s landing. What feels most true for me is to check in with myself daily and ask what I’m needing. I’m able to make a genuine and real-time intuitive choice for offering my spirit what it needs.
In these current times, it’s feeling really important for me to take care of my head/crown, to practice mindfulness in what I consume, how I talk to myself; to be in conversation with my ancestors and spiritual council; to hold myself on my yoga mat; to take mid-day coconut oil & salt baths, to walk barefoot on the earth and soften under the sun — to name just a few.
How can the BIPOC community benefit from learning more about mental health? What can allies do to help?
It is our birthright to be able to care for our whole beautiful ass selves! We have been sold some narratives that rendered beliefs that mental health is a myth, that our issues can be prayed away (and prayer is indeed powerful but having support & strategy in the process keeps the mental tumors from growing!), that mental illness is disqualifying and reason to judge others. Let’s just be all the way real for a moment — BIPOC are often navigating anxiety, depression, complex PTSD, substance abuse issues.
What if we look at mental health as a means of seeing & acknowledging our pain? What if we see ourselves through a lens of compassion and truth — that depression, anxiety, complex PTSD, substance dependence are realistic manifestations of our collective lived experiences and of surviving centuries of harm. When we change the POV, when we hold ourselves with compassion & truth, we return the lies back to sender and can focus on healing.
Melody Sylvain
Why is mental health important right now especially in communities of color?
Sadly, BIPOC will take the brunt of any crisis there is because of all the injustices that exist globally. So mental health could not be more important during this time since the circumstances have only exacerbated the quality of living in BIPOC communities. Appropriate mental health resources would play a huge role in helping our communities be equipped with the tools to cope when becoming overwhelmed with anxiety, and unwanted thoughts & emotions.
How are you taking care of your mental health during this pandemic? What are some tools that have been beneficial for you?
Some of the things that I have done and have been amazing mental health boosts are: online learning and getting inspired from other POC who are working on creative projects, reading and researching more about my ancestors, connecting with my family & friends regularly and venting about our situations, and practicing and teaching Yoga. The most important thing for me has been making sure I rest unapologetically and remembering not to attach my worth to productivity
How can the BIPOC community benefit from learning more about mental health? What can allies do to help?
For me growing up and for many BIPOC: mental health is viewed as a luxury and seeking it out was highly stigmatized. So I think it’s crucial for BIPOC to learn what mental health and wellness actually means and then we can work towards healing more easily. Allies can help first by continuously developing a willingness to learn and educate themselves about mental health disparities, becoming more aware of their privilege, and supporting BIPOC leaders in this area.