Honoring National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to shed light on the unique mental health challenges faced by communities of color and to elevate conversations that dismantle stigma. This observance was formally recognized in 2008 by the U.S. House of Representatives and was inspired by the advocacy of author, journalist, and mental health champion Bebe Moore Campbell.

Campbell used the power of storytelling to open doors for dialogue around mental illness in POC communities. Her novels, including Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry, explored the realities of mental health struggles, not just from a clinical standpoint, but from the deeply personal, social, and cultural perspectives often left out of the mainstream narrative.

At SACSS, we’ve continued this work by holding destigmatization workshops at the senior’s center and the Wednesdays for Women program. The response has been powerful and emotional, but also complex. These discussions often bring to the surface a painful reality: while many people want to support loved ones experiencing mental health issues, doing so within cultural and generational frameworks can be extremely difficult.

One theme that continues to emerge is the comparison between how we treat physical illness versus mental illness. Empathy flows more easily when someone is diagnosed with diabetes or a heart condition — but when it comes to depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia, support can waver. That’s where change begins by recognizing mental health as equally valid and worthy of compassion.

We also encourage communities to reflect on how ableist language shows up in everyday conversations — often unintentionally — and how changing the way we speak is a meaningful first step in creating inclusive spaces. Starting with SACSS clients, we’ve encouraged the use of respectful, non-stigmatizing language, with the hope that this empathy and awareness will ripple outward to friends, families, and the broader community.

This July, and beyond, we are proud of SACSS seniors and women taking actionable steps toward healing — through education, empathy, and empowerment.