This February marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. It is an important moment to commemorate the immense contributions of Black and African American people, and to celebrate their long legacy of creativity and resilience.
While we honor these achievements, we also reflect on the unique challenges faced by Black individuals throughout history, including systemic racism and unequal access to mental health resources.
In a new article for our Real Stories blog, AFSP Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement Victor (Vic) Armstrong, MSW, writes about growing up as a Black man in a religious family living in rural North Carolina. Throughout his piece, Vic considers how stigma shaped his understanding of mental health struggles from an early age –– and shares his thoughts on how we can eradicate stigma, together.
“In order to launch more targeted suicide prevention initiatives for everyone, we need to have a deeper understanding of the origins of stigma, including why it exists, how it developed, and why it may look different in historically marginalized communities.”
This month and year-round, we want to empower you with resources created by experts in Black and African American mental health and suicide prevention –– because we know from research that culturally relevant mental health resources are essential to fighting suicide among historically marginalized and underserved communities.
Learn more about L.E.T.S. Save Lives, our research-based presentation created by and for Black and African American people to help reduce cultural stigma, foster conversations about mental health, and raise awareness of suicide prevention in their communities.
Read our full roundup of AFSP-created education programs, podcast series, and Real Stories articles focused on supporting mental health and raising awareness about suicide prevention among Black and African American people.
By exploring these resources, sharing them with your community, and continuing to support AFSP, you’re helping to create a world where Black and African American communities have access to the mental health resources they need and deserve.
