March 10, 2022

Black Mental Health Week is here. Today we are sharing some videos that speak to the experiences at the intersection of Anti-Black Racism and mental health.

WATCH

TAIBU CHC Toronto
First-hand accounts of how experiences of racism impact mental health.
Paul’s Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I81y5kGbyvw
Josette’s Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXJRkIJ6Gio
David’s Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcuMUtoLem4

Living in Colour: How Anti-Black Racism Affects Mental Health , Global News (youtube video)
The inequalities and racism faced by Black Canadians can hurt their mental health. Host Farah Nasser talks with mental health advocate and clinical therapist Asante Haughton about intergenerational trauma, microaggressions as well as some self-care tips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAaeqrEB3nw

Peace of Mind with Taraji (Facebook video)
Taraji P. Henson hosts Peace of Mind, a Facebook show about mental health with her long-time best friend, Tracie Jade. Taraji talks about her mental health issues, elaborates on police brutality, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and mental health stigma. She also brings in a range of black therapists and guests to tell their stories.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/tarajiphenson/ 

Racism and Mental Health

Experiencing racial discrimination and injustice can take a heavy emotional toll and trigger chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and racial trauma. But there are ways to strengthen your resilience and protect your mental health. How racism affects your mental health. Horrifying images of police brutality and the protests they spark tend to grab the news headlines. But if you’re black or another racial minority, experiencing racism and discrimination is often a daily but overlooked reality—and it can take a serious toll on your mental health, increasing your risk for depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, and substance abuse.As a person of color, you’re far more likely to experience negative life events such as poverty, unemployment, incarceration, or abuse. Our society often overlooks black and minority contributions to history and culture, popular movies and TV shows tend to focus only on negative racial stereotypes, and some prominent politicians advocate hateful, violent bigotry. Financial institutions are less likely to grant you credit—or charge much more for doing so. And when disaster strikes, such as the global coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic fallout, it’s our black and minority communities that bear the brunt of the suffering. Then there are the subtler forms of racism that pervade modern life. The security guard who follows you around the store because of the color of your skin. The police officers who stop and search you without cause. The business that denies you service. The boss who overlooks you for promotion—again. The white people who cross the street when you approach, avoid sitting next to you on the bus, or hold their bags tighter when you step into an elevator. Such prevalent “micro-aggressions” can be emotionally scarring and leave you feeling marginalized, overwhelmed by stress, and devalued as a human being. You may rage against the lack of equality in our society, despair at the sense of powerlessness, or feel traumatized by the injustice of it all.

MORE RESOURCES

Black Mental Health Canada (BMHC) – https://blackmentalhealth.ca

• Based in Mississauga, ON
• A volunteer, non-profit, community-based organization that was founded in 2019 to help meet the mental health needs of the diverse Black communities in Canada
• Services: Client Referrals; Educational Supports for agencies, corporations, schools and the general public; Mental Health Advocacy; Customized Trainings and Workshops

Central Toronto Youth Services – RITES for African Canadian Youth Program – https://ctys.org/program/groups/rites-for-african-canadian-youth

• Based in Toronto, ON
• The R.I.T.E.S. program at Central Toronto Youth Services (CTYS) is a culturally specific, identity development initiative that supports the empowerment of Black and African-Canadian youth
  between the ages of 13 and 17. R.I.T.E.S. employs an integrated, full spectrum model of support and care so participants have access to range of clinical mental health programs, supports and resources

Pathways to Care (from TAIBU CHC, Wellesley Institute, CAMH, and East Metro Youth Services) – https://www.pathwaystocare.ca

• Based in Toronto, ON
• An initiative aimed at removing barriers and improving access to mental health and addictions services for Black children, youth and their families in 6 cities across Ontario
• Visit https://www.facebook.com/PathwaysON for information on their upcoming mental health workshops!

TAIBU Community Health Centre – https://www.taibuchc.ca | https://www.taibuchc.ca/fr

• Based in Toronto, ON
• Offers Black-identifying clients from throughout the Greater Toronto Area access to primary care, health promotion and disease prevention programs in a culturally affirming environment
• Services: Health Services (Counselling, Primary Health Care, Chronic Disease Management) and Community Programs (Families, Seniors, Francophone Communities)

Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre – https://www.whiwh.com

• Based in Toronto, ON
• A community health centre for racialized women living in Toronto and surrounding municipalities. Their primary health care team of highly skilled health care professionals specialize in the health and wellness needs of racialized women and prioritizes those from African, Caribbean, Latin American and South Asian communities.
• Services: Mental Health Services, Primary Health Care, Community Programs, Mentorship Programs, Clinical Services