During Black History Month, we honor the contributions, the legacy, and the struggles of African Americans throughout our country’s history, often through biographies and stories that have been silenced in our history books. The contributions by African Americans to advancements in therapy, in mental health advocacy, public health, education and addiction treatment have shaped what we know about mental health and how we deliver care today. Additionally, the work and determination of these individuals has led to monumental change in our awareness and understanding of the impact of systemic oppression on the mental health of Black Americans and the creation of a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system. Through the exploration of untold stories and triumphs, we promote a more complete history of how our country evolved, the advancement of more inclusive and equitable care and the improvement of our collective mental health and wellbeing.

Black History Month is also an opportunity to examine and acknowledge how the historical and current treatment of people of color has shaped the circumstances, attitudes, challenges, and successes that exist today. For communities of color, the systemic racism and discrimination with access to economic resources, in education, in our legal system, and neglect and abuse within health care have created socioeconomic disadvantages, trauma, and mistrust that contribute to depression, anxiety, substance use and other mental health conditions.

We know that nearly 7 million Black Americans reported having a mental illness. Rates of depression and serious mental illness has risen significantly over the last decade, compounded by the disproportionate physical and emotional impact of the pandemic on marginalized communities, and the ongoing mistreatment and violence against people of color. For Black youth, this crisis is life threatening—while less likely to die by suicide, Black teens are more likely than White teens to make a suicide attempt and young Black females are more likely to engage in self-harm. More than half of Black Americans with a serious mental illness don’t receive treatment, and nearly 90% of Black Americans who struggle with substance use/abuse do not receive substance use treatment.

Many of the people that we celebrate this month are responsible for initiatives to help decrease disparities in healthcare including having more diverse practitioners and representation in all segments of the medical and mental health programs, improving access to preventative care, and dispelling myths and misinformation about mental illness, mental health and treatment that prevent people from reaching out when they need help.

Every day we are grateful for the work of the pioneers who came before, and those who contribute now toward a system of care that values cultural humility, recognition, and accountability to create a sense of belonging and improve treatment and outcomes for everyone we serve. We are passionate about building a community where mental health matters and equitable care is accessible to all.

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