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.

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 5K for 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

Fulcrum Roundtable: June Rewind
stainless steel road sign
Photo by Miko Guziuk on Unsplash

Fulcrum Roundtable: June Rewind

Welcome to the Fulcrum Roundtable, formerly known as Democracy in Action, where you will find insights and discussions with Fulcrum's collaborators on some of the most talked-about topics.

Consistent with the Fulcrum's mission, this program aims to share diverse perspectives to broaden our readers' viewpoints.

Keep ReadingShow less
A Promise in the Making: Thirty-Five Years of the ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act ADA and glasses.

Getty Images

A Promise in the Making: Thirty-Five Years of the ADA

One July morning in 1990, a crowd gathered on the White House lawn, some in wheelchairs, others holding signs, many with tears in their eyes. President George H.W. Bush lifted his pen and signed his name to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—the most sweeping civil rights law for people with disabilities in the nation's history. It was a moment three decades in the making: a rare convergence of activism, outrage, and legislative will. The ADA's promise was simple—no longer would disability mean exclusion from public life—but its implications were anything but.

Thirty-five years later, the ADA remains a landmark, a legal bulwark against discrimination, and a symbol of hard-won visibility for a community that has been too often relegated to the margins. Yet, like every civil rights law, the ADA's story is more complex than a single signature or a morning in Washington. Its passage and its legacy have always been about more than ramps and regulations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Illinois Camp Gives Underrepresented Kids an Opportunity To Explore New Pathways

Kuumba Family Festival at Evanston Township High School

Illinois Camp Gives Underrepresented Kids an Opportunity To Explore New Pathways

Summer camps in Evanston, Illinois — a quiet suburb just north of Chicago — usually consist of an array of different sports, educational programs, and even learning how to sail. But one thing is obviously apparent throughout the city’s camps: they’re almost all white.

Despite Black or African American families making up nearly 16% of Evanston’s population, Black kids are massively underrepresented throughout the city's summer camps.

Keep ReadingShow less
Students in a classroom.​

Today, Hispanic-Serving Institutions enroll 64 percent of all Latino college students.

Getty Images, andresr

Tennessee’s Attack on Federal Support for Hispanic-Serving Colleges Hurts Us All

The Tennessee Attorney General has partnered with a conservative legal nonprofit to sue the U.S. Department of Education over programming that supports Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), colleges, and universities where at least 25% of the undergraduate full-time equivalent student enrollment is Hispanic. On its face, this action claims to oppose “discriminatory” federal funding. In reality, it is part of a broader and deeply troubling trend: a coordinated effort to dismantle educational opportunity for communities of color under the guise of anti-DEI rhetoric.

As a scholar of educational policy and leadership in higher education, I believe we must confront policies that narrow access and undermine equity in education for those who have been historically underserved. What is happening in Tennessee is not just a misguided action—it’s a self-inflicted wound that will harm the state's economic future and deepen historical inequality.

Keep ReadingShow less