Lovely Day

Last week I celebrated another year of Juneteenth. If you don’t know, Juneteenth is a celebration for us Black folk commemorating our ancestors who were finally able to acknowledge their freedom!

During this celebration my heart was filled with so much pure bliss that I was able to rejoice for freedom for our people and our culture! I was honored to be among beautiful Black people of all brown shades and thankful for the opportunity to fellowship and build in our community, displaying peace and unity.

I was happy to embrace and enjoy great music that I too can sing along and dance to. I was appreciative to meet new people and experience new food. I was beyond excited to support and patronize Black businesses. Ultimately, I was grateful to represent, speak and provide insight on Mental Health and its importance in the Black Community (shout out to Dreamers Youth and Motown Records for having me).

As a Mental Health advocate, I understand the importance of educating, normalizing and providing resources and tools for those who experience mental health challenges. And as a Black woman, I understand that it’s just as important for the information to be provided and taught by me.

As I sat and pondered on the two, I immediately acknowledged my place and purpose in my current position. I must continue to lead the people. So let me talk to you all for a second…

Mental Health again is simply how you manage both your thoughts and feelings. Yes, I know as Black people we are resilient as hell and some of the most smartest, fastest, strongest, loving, nurturing and coolest people in the world but in order to continue and advance, we must always address these things that are not always perceived at surface level, which consequently can possibly hinder us from operating at our best.

When we do address the things that bother us, it is important to create balance as to where our emotional and mental well-being is placed as a priority! If this is a message that seems repetitive in my blogs, well that’s because this issue is so vital to handle.

So please, please, please…PRIORITIZE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH!

I want to ask you:

1)   When was the last time you checked in with yourself to see how you were mentally and emotionally feeling?

2)   How aware are you of your triggers, traumas and challenges?

3)   Do you have a support system in place (people you know you can lean on for help)? If not, how can you develop this system?

4)   How do you cope with your everyday stressors?

5)   When was the last time you took time to enjoy self-care?

I ask these questions because life is constantly happening and it’s “always something.” Oftentimes we lose sight of just how important those check ins with ourselves are. Hence, I ask these questions because I feel that maintaining and prioritizing our mental health is the best thing we can ever do for ourselves individually and as a collective for our community and culture. I ask these questions because as I sat in the community with children on Juneteenth, I saw how their lives are merely being shaped and influenced by ours.

I sit and think of how mentally and emotionally strong our ancestors had to be to endure such a time (OMG, I am becoming emotional). I think about how much strength they passed on in spirit. I also think about how as a society we now have the power to shift our culture and the narrative to normalize seeking help, support and resources that we need.

“Nobody’s is free until everybody’s is free” is a quote by the great Fannie Lou Hamer that has been resonating with me since the Juneteenth Celebration. When I think of her message I think of all of those who are incarcerated, impacted by substance abuse, trauma and grief, among so many other challenges. I also think of those who are mentally struggling and still suffering in silence.

Therefore, I vow to take this quote and apply it to how I perceive the world and my work surrounding mental health. We all must be mentally free and healthy to properly push forward our culture, uplift ourselves, our babies and generations to come.

Here are 5 Mental Notes that you can use as reminders to maintain your well-being:

1) Check-in with yourself daily

Being aware of your feelings is essential to understanding what it is that you need. Once you know what it is that you need. Ask for it!

2) Disconnect but stay connected

It is important to disconnect yourself from the outside world to develop a positive peace of mind for yourself. But remember, you do have an important place in this world and your life matters to your family and friends, so I highly encourage you to find a balanced way to stay connected. We need what you have to offer.

3) Enjoy the little things

The world is a serious place and we deal with serious things daily especially in the Black community. Lets remember that these serious things aren’t going anywhere so find joy in the things that bring it.

4) Allow yourself to be vulnerable

There is power in vulnerability. Find a safe space and process “it” and all of “it,” what ever “it” is. The pressure that will be lifted will feel so liberating.  Ex: Join a “Write to Cope” circle with Mental Note by Imani Tawfiq.

5) Build Community

If we can party, dance, eat and shop together then we can maintain our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical beings together (enough said). 

Please leave a comment expressing how we as a community can model and prioritize mental health in our youth?