Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Mental Health Awareness Month is a time for BIPOC people to lift the stigma

Mental Health Awareness Month sign
Kameleon007

Johnson is a United Methodist pastor, the author of "Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community" and program director for the Bridge Alliance, which houses The Fulcrum.

Mental Health Awareness Month highlights the importance of mental well-being for everyone, but it's especially critical for those who have borne the brunt of its impacts. Celebrated in May, it's a time to reflect on our practices, challenge stigmas and work towards a society where seeking help is seen as a strength rather than a weakness or shame.

But mental health challenges don't affect everyone equally. The past four years have laid bare the deep-seated inequities in our systems, with BIPOC+ communities and children disproportionately bearing the emotional burden.


Children who are Black, Indigenous or people of color face unique barriers to mental health care for a variety of reasons. They may have limited access to culturally competent providers, face language or cultural barriers, or experience negative stereotypes within the health care system. As a result, they often have worse mental health outcomes and higher rates of untreated mental illness compared to their white peers.

For BIPOC+ individuals, feeling "other-ed" is a constant pressure that is compounded by the current political climate's focus on division and exclusion. The stress of being constantly reminded of one's differences and faced with hostility can lead to heightened anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. In a society that often fails to recognize or validate their experiences, BIPOC+ individuals bear the additional burden of navigating these challenges without the support that is readily available to many of their white counterparts.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

That's why Mental Health Awareness Month is crucial for BIPOC+ communities. It's an opportunity to shine a light on their resilience, strength, and determination in the face of adversity and to challenge the harmful stereotypes that often obscure their experiences. It's a chance to uplift voices, challenge stereotypes, and promote healing within these communities and beyond. It's a time to recognize the strength of BIPOC+ individuals and the courage it takes to seek help in a system that often fails to serve them equitably.

To make Mental Health Awareness Month meaningful for BIPOC+ communities:

•Amplify BIPOC+ voices and experiences so that they are heard and recognized as valid and essential contributions to the conversation. This includes elevating the stories of BIPOC+ youth and children, who are often overlooked in discussions of mental health.

•Ensure resources are accessible and inclusive so that everyone, regardless of their background or beliefs, can find the support they need. This means providing culturally appropriate care, language services and welcoming environments for BIPOC+ individuals and families.

•Challenge stereotypes and stigma within these communities by educating ourselves and others and standing up against bias and discrimination wherever we encounter it. This includes actively working to dismantle systemic racism and discrimination in our health care and other institutions.

•Advocate for policies addressing social determinants of mental health, such as access to quality health care, housing and education, which are crucial for the well-being of all people but are particularly important for BIPOC+ individuals who have historically faced systemic barriers to these resources.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, may we commit to uplift BIPOC+ communities, challenge stigmas, and work towards more equitable resources and programming where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background or beliefs. I challenge each of us to engage in at least one effort to do so.

My commitment for observance this May is to the On Our Sleeves 5Kfor children's mental health. This event is a powerful way to show support for the mental well-being of our youngest citizens, who will grow up to be tomorrow's leaders, innovators and change-makers. This event supports initiatives for children's mental well-being, which are crucial for breaking the cycle of mental health struggles and creating a healthier, happier future for all.

I encourage everyone to support BIPOC+ and children's mental health in their communities by learning about the resources available, advocating for policies that prioritize their well-being in meaningful ways. Together, we can create a society where every individual can thrive. Where mental health is recognized as a priority for all people, regardless of their age, background or beliefs.

Read More

Future of the National Museum of the American Latino is Uncertain

PRESENTE! A Latino History of the United States

Credit: National Museum of the American Latino

Future of the National Museum of the American Latino is Uncertain

The American Museum of the Latino faces more hurdles after over two decades of advocacy.

Congress passed legislation to allow for the creation of the Museum, along with the American Women’s History Museum, as part of the Smithsonian Institution in an online format. Five years later, new legislation introduced by Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) wants to build a physical museum for both the Latino and women’s museums but might face pushback due to a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fairness, Not Stigma, for Transgender Athletes

People running.

Getty Images, Pavel1964

Fairness, Not Stigma, for Transgender Athletes

President Trump’s campaign and allies spent $21 million of campaign spending on attack ads against transgender people. With that level of spending, I was shocked to find out it was not a top concern for voters of either party, but it continued to prevail as a campaign priority.

Opponents of transgender participation in sports continue to voice their opinions, three months into the Trump presidency. Just last month, the Trump administration suspended $175 million in federal funding to Penn State over a transgender swimmer. $175 million is a bit dramatic over one swimmer, or in the case of the entire NCAA, fewer than 10 athletes. Even Governor Gavin Newsom was recently under fire for sharing his views on his podcast. Others, like Rep. Nancy Mace, have also caught on to the mediagenic nature of transphobia right now. “You want penises in women's bathrooms, and I'm not going to have it,” she said in a U.S. House hearing last month. I had no clue who Nancy Mace was prior to her notorious views on LGBTQ+ rights. Frankly, her flip from being a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights to shouting “Tr**ny” in a hearing seems less like a change of opinion and more of a cry for attention.

Keep ReadingShow less
Banned Books Damn Our Children's Future

Two children reading in school.

Getty Images, Jim Craigmyle

Banned Books Damn Our Children's Future

April 2nd is International Children's Book Day. It is time to celebrate the transformative power of children's literature and mourn the spaces where stories once lived. The numbers are staggering: there were over 10,000 book bans in U.S. public schools during the 2023-2024 school year alone, affecting more than 4,000 unique titles. Each banned book represents a mirror taken away from a child who might have seen themselves in those pages or a window closed to a child who might have glimpsed a world beyond their own.

I'm a child of the 80s and 90s, back when PBS was basically raising us all. Man, LeVar Burton's voice on Reading Rainbow was like that cool uncle who always knew exactly what book you needed. Remember him saying, "But you don't have to take my word for it"? And Sesame Street—that show was living proof that a kid from the Bronx could learn alongside a kid from rural Kansas, no questions asked. These and other such programs convinced an entire generation that we could "go anywhere" and "be anything.” Also, they were declarations that every child deserves to see themselves in stories, to dream in technicolor, and to imagine futures unlimited by the accidents of birth or circumstance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Storytelling that exposes injustices and inspires equity
- YouTube

Storytelling that exposes injustices and inspires equity

Stephanie R. Toliver is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction focusing on English Education and Adolescent/Secondary Literacy.

In her research, Toliver employs creativity and imagination to confront systemic inequities and promote more equitable education environments.

Keep ReadingShow less