Opportunities for the Community to Care for the Well-being of Black Men
While the United States of America has engaged in more dialogue (albeit sometimes dissenting talk at one another) in recent years as a result of Black Lives Matter and video recordings that show multiple assaults and killings of unarmed black people, it is clear that living in a racist country has harmful effects on the mental health of black men.
Too often in America and across the globe, Black people are not seen as powerful, intelligent, and beautiful according to the metrics of dominant U.S. and European society. One of the effects of this realitiy is internalized oppression—a process in which black people can unconsciously—and sometimes consciously—reject, devalue, and hate themselves as an extention of societies hatred towards them.
Given the urgency of the situation facing black men—and black people as a whole—one might wonder with passion: What is society waiting on to respond to this urgent crisis facing black citizens of the United States and throuhgout the world? What is keeping society as a whole back from passionatelly working to understand the importance and need to promote the well-being to black men?
Mental health issues should be highlighted as priorities in the United States’ pursuit of progress and innovation. Specifically, the mental health of black people and black men must be a priority if the United States wants to live more fully into its vision of a more just nation. Simply put: The systemic causes of black suffering require systemic solutions. This starts with us working together as a national and global communiy.
Below are solutions and actions that can be taken now as a national and global community:
Develop, support, and invest in studies and conversations on the mental health of black men;
Listen to black communities and take seriously their perspectives at powerful decision-making tables ;
Listen to the unique and diverse voices in black communities. I highlight this recommendation to drive home the point that black people are not all alike. They are different. It is important to acknowledge difference in black communities and to make space to understand all perspectives from diverse black people;
See and acknowlege the achievements of black people;
Support, promote, and invest in counseling services for black men in a way that facilitates their survival, liberation, healing, and flourishing.
These recommendations help promote the main objective: working together as a national and global community to change the status quo. The goal is to call all members of society to engage in an exercise of listening and introspection, abandoning the practices that do not provide a pathway for black men to heal, experience liberation, and flourish.
What is the purpose of this cause?
The purpose of these recommendations is to help citizens and leaders of the United States and global village better understand and transform reality. These tools that help to promote mental health for the black population are in direct alignment with black psychology.
It is important to note that mental health is as important as spiritual health. “Black liberation psychology recognizes spirituality as an important factor in the healing and liberation of marginalized people”. (Jones, 2003) When we integrate psychological and spiritual health as one in the same, we can participate in actions that facilitate optimal well-being for black men.
Emotional and Psychological Healing of Black Men
I end this blog by naming two important dimensions of liberation that are essential for nurturing the mental well-being of black men. U.S. and global communities must do at least two things: 1) nurture the emotional and psychological healing of black men; and 2) challenge black men to resist sexist, Black machoistic, and homophobic ways of being a black man.
Healing is a critically important dimension of black men’s journey towards liberation. There is the phrase that “hurting people hurt other people.” This is true, certainly, for black men. Society, the media, and people in everyday life are frequently not kind to black men.
Check out the paperback edition of Nicholas Grier’s book Care for the Mental and Spiritual Health of Black Men, available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
