black mental health day sheds light on gaps in care
black populations have reported higher rates of stress-related illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, anxiety, and depression.
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today marks the first-ever black mental health day in toronto, a campaign launched by taibu community health centre in partnership with the city of toronto.
and after 400 years of slavery, racism, and discrimination, it’s about time.
mental health for black people represents the intersection of racism and health inequities. black people experience mental health differently due to a history of slavery and racism, says tracy ampofoh, a toronto-based social worker and case worker with the canadian mental health association (cmha).
“there is a phrase that ‘black people don’t get depressed because we don’t have the time to’,” says ampofoh.
“when your focus is on survival in the world, you have less time for self-care or to talk about your mental health. a lot of us don’t have that luxury. that’s how systems work, there’s systemic oppression, and you’re trying to survive in a system that wasn’t created for you.”
policies and representation needed
anti-black racism leads to stress but also countless indirect consequences that affect lives. whether it’s discrimination during the hiring process, from the police or landlords, or having your children at a higher risk of being taken by the children’s aid society (cas), these are environments that need to be improved with policies and resources.
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in a panel discussion hosted by camh earlier today, dr. kwame mckenzie said it’s important these institutions have specific targets to increase equities which includes making sure that employees are representative of different communities.
“we need other people to take responsibility for the environment produced,” said dr. mckenzie in the panel this morning. “black mental health day is not just about black folk sorting themselves out. we need everybody to understand and take some responsibility for the situation because we have to work together to move forward.”
ampofoh says it’s important for those with power and privilege to acknowledge that there inherently is a difference in the way black people are perceived. many people often say “i’m colour-blind” or “i don’t see colour” but this erases the health inequities between racialized groups.
in a meeting, for example, ampofoh recommends “stepping up and stepping down,” by taking the time to centre the voice of someone who not represented and stepping back to listen to feedback. it’s important that employers be comfortable and intentional with offering anti-black racism training specifically and that employees take these opportunities to become more informed.
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societal expectations of the “strong, black woman” are harmful
as writer tayo bero wrote for chatelaine, the stereotype of the “strong, black woman” compounds the health inequities that arise from black discrimination.
in the same camh panel, healthcare consultant notisha massaquoi says the stereotype reinforces the idea that black women are believed to be able to sustain enormous amounts of abuse and pressure, which has detrimental impacts on how black women are treated by the healthcare system and given pain management. black populations have reported higher rates of stress-related illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, anxiety, and depression.
in the camh discussion, former mp celina caesar-chavannes says it’s an unsustainable model because women are expected to be twice as strong but that eventually leads to burnout. she says it’s important that there is an outlet and people who are able to talk about their feelings and get the help.
ampofoh references a quote that says, ‘after 400 years of discrimination and racism, wouldn’t you be tired too?’ saying it takes away the blame put on an individual who may appear tired or unengaged. she says it’s important we look at our society as a system that has been set it up for black people not to succeed.
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“despite all the challenges that have been put in our way, we’re not a disparaged group,” she says. “we don’t talk about it in a canadian context, but look how far we’ve come and how much further we can go. look at the resilience and applaud it, but realize there are still strides to be made.”
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