Image by Freepik
For many years, being labeled “strong Black woman” was viewed as a badge of honor. She is expected to carry the weight of the world upon her shoulders while forgetting to take care of herself. Even when that weight begins to feel too heavy and is crushing her, she is expected to remain strong for fear of failing her loved ones and ultimately herself. The truth is, being a strong Black woman is not always a badge of honor. You do not have to bear the burden alone.
Studies have shown that the stereotype of the “strong Black woman” can contribute to mental health issues. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the more Black women feel pressured to be strong and self-sufficient, the more likely they are to silence themselves and, as a result, the more prone they are to developing depressive symptoms.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness also noted that Black Americans are 10% more likely to experience serious psychological distress, and are more likely to experience socioeconomic disparities that may contribute to worse mental health outcomes.
Black women need to know that their mental health matters every day. This idea of putting everyone’s needs first while sacrificing your mental health needs to stop. Black women need to prioritize their mental health and recognize that seeking support is a strength, not a weakness. It is only when you take care of yourself that you will be in a better position to take care of others.
While everyone deserves access to resources that improve their physical and emotional health, Black women’s wellness needs are not met most of the time. They often face unique challenges and barriers when seeking support. Thankfully, there are several organizations created specifically to support Black women and their mental health.
Not sure where to start? We’ve gathered 5 organizations that are here to support you and your well-being.
Black Women for Wellness
This is a grassroots organization dedicated to healing, supporting, and educating Black women and girls so they can tap into their personal power to enhance and improve their health and well-being. This is achieved through a wide range of educational, empowerment, and advocacy activities. BWW currently operates in California but plans to expand.
It started as a group of six women who were concerned with the health and well-being of Black babies and teamed up with the Birthing Project as “sister-friends” in 1994. It has since grown from a volunteer group of women to a community institution and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2017.
Photo source: Instagram / bw4wla
The organization runs workshops on sex education, voting guidance, environmental justice, and healthy cooking. It also runs several programs which include:
- Sisters in Control Reproductive Justice (SCRJ) – This program supports policies, utilizes programs, and collaborates with advisory councils, commissions, and boards to secure reproductive justice for women and girls. It conducts outreach and education related to environmental justice, including education about toxins in hair products that are marketed to Black women. Some of its programs include: Maternal & Infant Health, Get Smart B4U Get Sexy, and Grown & Sexy.
- Sisters in Motion – This program promotes lifestyle change to reduce the incidents of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other related disease, through regular exercise, physical activity and movement. Its programs include: Kitchen Divas, Body Matters and Movement, Food Distribution, Wellness Wednesdays, and Diabetes Prevention.
- Sisters@Eight – This is a monthly roundtable bringing a wealth of information to health professionals, leadership, advocates, and the community to help empower, mobilize, and organize toward advocacy. Forums are held monthly every 2nd Friday.
Sad Girls Club (SGC)
Elyse Fox founded Sad Girls Club in 2017 as a safe space for Black and brown women to receive mental health services, support, resources, and education. She was inspired by her battles with mental health and trying to navigate the messy mental health care system.
“I just wanted to create a space where we can see each other, hear each other, and provide resources that are accessible,” Fox told TIME.
Photo Source: Instagram/ sadgirlsclub
This non-profit organization offers mental health resources and community and caters to Gen Z and millennials, who are more likely to report having fair or poor mental health compared to older generations.
SGC includes healers and therapist options for attendees through weekly group counseling called Soul Sessions where young people around the world can vent and heal alongside peers, one-on-one therapy sessions, and programming.
Fox is working to combat the mental health crisis plaguing Black Americans—one Instagram post at a time.
This organization is committed to diminishing the stigma around mental health for millennial and Gen Z women of color.
The Loveland Foundation
Black women deserve access to therapy and this non-profit organization is committed to doing just that.
Founded in 2018, it started as a birthday wish by author, entrepreneur, and activist Rachel Cargle. She would make birthday wishes out loud through an annual birthday wish fundraiser. What started as a birthday wish has blossomed into what is now known as the Loveland Foundation.
The non-profit aims to bring healing to communities of color, with a specific focus on Black women and girls, through therapy services. The Loveland Foundation continues to support Black women throughout their mental health journeys via fellowships, residency programs, listening tours, and more.
Photo Source: Instagram/ thelovelandfoundation
The Loveland Foundation partners with several mental health networks to connect Black women and girls with culturally competent care, validation, and community. Through its Loveland Therapy Fund, the organization has subsidized therapy costs for over 18,000 recipients since 2019. The foundation provides up to 12 therapy vouchers for Black women and girls seeking therapy in the U.S.
The Loveland Foundation collaborates with Therapy for Black Girls, National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network, Open Path Collective, Black Female Therapists and others. Through this partnership, Loveland Therapy Fund recipients have access to comprehensive lists of mental health professionals across the country providing high-quality, culturally competent services to Black women and girls.
The organization also hosts a variety of free talks and self-care sessions (i.e., sound baths), over on its Instagram account.
Black Mental Health Alliance
Black women face unique challenges and pressures, often without the recognition and support they deserve, especially when it comes to mental health. This organization is one of those trying to solve this problem. The Black Mental Health Alliance was formed out of frustration from the life-threatening disparities among Black residents in Baltimore City, MD ranging from depression, PTSD, and suicide.
Founded in 1983 by Maxie T. Collier, MD, Fikre Workneh, MSW, and Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam (a registered nurse), BMHA is highly committed to developing, promoting, and sponsoring trainings that support mental health education efforts among African Americans and other people of color.
Photo Source: Instagram/ bmhaofficial
According to its official website, the Black Mental Health Alliance’s mission is “to develop, promote, and sponsor trusted culturally relevant educational forums, training, and referral services that support the health and well-being of Black people and their communities.”
The organization achieves this by connecting clinicians to potential patients as well as providing workshops and forums to Black communities and families. They also hold educational workshops and forums.
BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective)
There is no medal for trying to prove you’re a strong Black woman, while in reality, the weight of the burden is crushing you. It is time to heal and not just cope. At BEAM, it is all about integrating healthy wellness systems into modern Black life. According to BEAM), healing is our birthright.
BEAM is a collective of therapists, advocates, and healers working to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community.
Photo Source: Instagram/ _beamorg
According to Yolo Akili Robinson, the Executive Director and Founder of BEAM, “We live in a world that constantly makes it difficult for us to be here, and then shames and punishes us when we say we’re having a hard time being here.”
BEAM is introducing a brand new way to approach mental health and healing within the Black community.
They offer virtual workshops, training programs, and a directory of Black mental health professionals. With an established home in Los Angeles, BEAM offers a variety of programs which include:
- Black Healing Remixed – This is an interactive community program that creates conversations and events that provide mental health education while centering on Black folks’ unique healing practices and approaches.
- Black Masculinity (Re)imagined – This is a community and skills-building program that trains and supports Black men and masculine folks with addressing mental health and community violence.
- Heart Space – This is a monthly, online, and in-person healing circle and emotional skills-building space for Black folks looking to learn and grow in their healing.
