Guest Contributor: Dozie Oheri CEO of Choose to DO, Inc. What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? Black mental wellness to me means having conversations the help us to recognize, deal and heal past traumas. It means that we seek help when we recognize that we are not okay. It means connecting with and expressing our emotions. It means teaching the next generation that healing is one of the most important acts you can do. How do you promote change and well-being in the Bla

Guest Contributor: Angela N. Frazier, MPH Founder of Sisters in Public Health Author of "A Kids Book about Suicide" What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? Black Mental Wellness is all about breaking down so many of the barriers that the black community faces in order to achieve optimal health. Many of us have been raised up under similar house rules such as "what happens in this house, stays in this house." This alone is a statement that hinders our community from seeki

Guest Contributor: Kiera Yore Certified Mental Health Technician Mental Health Case Manager Abuse Survivor Coach Author of “Damage a Road to Recovery” Tell us about your educational and/or professional training, and current area of expertise related to mental health and wellness? As a certified mental health technician with a B.S in Psychology. I currently works as a case manager where I provide both mental and physical support to care for mentally ill patients. I aide in bot

Guest Contributor: James and Aubrey Harrison Therapists Co-Founders of “Family, You Alright?” https://www.famyoualright.com/ What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? To us, Black Mental Wellness means that we have a community where our wellbeing is protected and supported mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and systemically. It means that there's a space where Black people can be vulnerable and heal in a healthy way. How do you promote change and well-being in the Black c

Guest Contributor: Tiffanie M. Trudeau Licensed Mental Health and Professional Counselor Qualified Clinical Supervisor Owner of Counseling Alliance, LLC President of Space Coast Mental Health Counselors Association Adjunct Professor at the University of Central Florida How do you promote change and well-being in the Black community? For too long, mental health has been a taboo subject in the Black community, with trauma-based, hyper-self sufficiency being normalized. As a wom

Guest Contributor: Dr. Mekel Harris, Ph.D., NCSP, PMH-C Licensed pediatric and family health psychologist/health service provider (HSP) CEO of Harris Psychological Services, LLC What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? Holistic empowerment of body, mind, and spirit within the Black community. How do you promote change and well-being in the Black community? 1:1 service with clients, organizational engagement + presentation What are some upcoming events you are leading, tha

Guest Contributor: Jessica Baggett Owner of Pro’ta’jay Productions Author of “The Keys Of Life”, “The Keys 2 Life”, “Lessons Learned” and “The Struggle Is Real” What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? I believe that Black Mental Wellness is very important and necessary because your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Mind and body works together. In the Black community, there is still a stigma towards mental health. That is the reason why people d

Guest Contributor: Tiara Johnson Owner of Embrace MH LLC. Author of Living with 2020 Vision: The Mental Health Awakening in the Black Community What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? Personally, Black Mental Wellness means not being afraid to acknowledge your own mental health journey. Black Mental Wellness is a choice where you decide to prioritize your mental wellbeing and get a better understanding of your mental and emotional health. How do you promote change and we

Guest Contributor: Nyasia Luke Black Mental Wellness Intern 2021 Graduate of Elizabeth City State University What are some ways that you promote mental health and wellness through your area of expertise? On my University’s campus, I serve as a Peer Wellness Ambassador which is a student-led group that enhances the knowledge, skills, and resources on our campus to help students make holistic health decisions. Additionally, I help educate the ECSU community about health and wel

Guest Contributor: Brianna Jackson Black Mental Wellness Intern What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? Black Mental Wellness to me is strength and resilience. It is unpacking generations and generations of dismal and learning to find identity, clarity, unity and peace in the midst. Black Mental Wellness is understanding and accepting the idea that it is okay to not be okay. With the education and resources we have now, it is imperative that we, as mental health professi

Guest Contributor: Ayrricka Street Black Mental Wellness Intern What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? Black Mental Wellness means taking into account the powerful effect and connection between the mental state, physical state, and emotional state, and how all of these are intertwined. I promote change by challenging my people to recognize the power of their own minds and the responsibility that they have over their lives. What are your top 5 wellness and self-care stra

Guest Contributor: Jasmine Shegog Published Author of “Jair’s Collections” What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? To me, Black mental wellness is about voicing your feelings and not repressing them. It is about learning how to communicate how you feel, what you feel, and why you feel it without harming others. I aspire to be a voice and an example to let others know it is okay to talk about your struggles. I want to help remove the stigma in the black community around s

Guest Contributor: Jenna Pantin Owner of Chaconia Candles What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? Research has shown that Black Americans are 20% more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population. In a documentary with Dr. Ibram Kendi, he mentioned if you see a Black person with their backs bent, it’s because they carry the Black race on their shoulders. The backs of Black women bend even more. Yet, the stereotype of “Strong Black woman” and “f

Guest Contributor: Dequan Starnes (Q-Starnes) Recording Artist What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? Mental wellness means so much to me because I just think us meaning (our people) in general has went through so many things as a race and overcame so much I don't think we take the time to actually self evaluate ourselves and focus in on our mental health the way we should. If you look around at all the things we've been through as a whole anybody would know we've been

Guest Contributor: Karah N. Palmer Research Coordinator at the National Center for School Mental Health What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? To me, Black Mental Wellness means embracing our full humanity and learning to be well, which is really about caring for our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. It is also about unlearning negative messages about ourselves and others. In the unlearning, we make room to explore and create a world in which we can be

Guest Contributor: Tanya Murphy Holistic Wellness Expert and Lifestyle Coach Creator and Facilitator of ReMaster Your Mind Holistic Wellness Program & Owner of Ustawi MindBody Spa Tell us about your educational and/or professional training, and current area of expertise related to mental health and wellness? I am a Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Practitioner, Certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Anxiety Coach, Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, Certifie

Guest Contributor: Micah Dawanyi Student Author of Step Into My Shoes: Memoirs From the Other Side of America What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? Black mental wellness is the understanding and capability to allow yourself to experience your full range of emotions as necessary. As Black people, historically we have not been given the opportunities to fully express ourselves, and society has conditioned us to think that it is not okay to open up and express our emotion

Guest Contributor: Natasha Helwig: Introspective Coach, Self Work Facilitator, Writer Founder of The Broken Heals Self Work Program Tell us about your educational and/or professional training, and current area of expertise related to mental health and wellness? I am a Certified Life Coach with the Certified Coaches Federation. I focus mainly on facilitating activities and guiding Black people to do Self Work activities focused on deepening their relationship with themselves a

Guest Contributor: Felix Gabriel Lopez Black Mental Wellness Intern What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? Black Mental Wellness is the fulfillment of spirt that lies amongst Black people across the diaspora. In spite of centuries filled with pain, scrutiny, violence, death, sadness, and stigma, Black people have the ability to see the crevices of joy. Black Mental Wellness is harnessing a keen sense of self-awareness to allow space to modify and heal from certain behav

Guest Contributor: Tajah Pinkard Black Mental Wellness Mentee What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you? To me, Black mental wellness means normalizing that it is okay not to be okay. It also means that we are provided with adequate resources to help us cope with our stressors and move towards healing, as opposed to being stuck in trauma. It also involves highlighting the positive things that people within the Black community are doing to combat the negative light that medi