by Genoa Barrow | Observer Senior Staff Writer
With the 2024 NFL Draft being held virtually, football fans have been treated to tears, cheers and cheers as recently selected players were surrounded by crowds of family, friends and $1 million contracts to commemorate the occasion. And I saw them celebrating their big day with a strong hug. The draft was the culmination of years of practice and sacrifice, and emotions ran high as the players finally made it to the pros.
What isn’t depicted is the pressure many players feel from standing on the backs of their entire families, neighbors, and to some extent the wider community. Many of them were the first in their families to go to college and had the opportunity to earn a lot of money. They are keen to buy their mother’s house and car for their uncle, who came to every game and paid for the equipment when their parents could not. Sen. LaFonza Butler (D-Calif.) asked Marcus Smith II, a 2014 first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, to discuss the cost of success for many African-American athletes. I asked for it.
The impetus came last week when Smith, now playing for the Washington Commanders, joined a panel to share his work and experiences with members of Congress to kick off May as Mental Health Awareness Month. “May Day: Suicide and Mental Health among Black Men and Boys” was presented by Florida Congresswoman Frederica C. Wilson, chair of the Committee on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, and moderated by Commissioner Troy Carter. It was sponsored by This discussion brought home the need for more attention and resources for Black men and boys when it comes to mental health.
Smith said his mental illness began long before he heard from the NFL.
“I was 8 years old when I had my first anxiety attack. No one in my community, my mom, my dad, really understood what it meant. I went on to high school and made it to the NFL,” Smith said, admitting that he had considered suicide.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for black men ages 15-24.
“Suicide rates among black men and boys have increased 160% over the past 30 years, and young black men are at the center of this. Younger generations are picking up guns and taking their own lives. You can’t miss it,” Wilson said.
“As the mother of a young Black man whose life has been taken by gun violence, the health and safety of Black men and boys is of great importance and importance to me,” said Georgia U.S. Representative Lucy McBath. Stated.
McBath’s son, Jordan Davis, 17, was shot and killed in 2012 by a white man who objected to the loud music being played in the car he and his friends were traveling in.
The panel discussion discussed the importance of awareness and normalization of mental health.
Smith, who runs Circle of M, a nonprofit that provides healing circles for young people struggling with anxiety and depression, calls mental health a journey.
“We have to talk about it in order to free ourselves,” he said.
Award-winning recording artist Raheem DeVaughn also shared his personal experience with mental illness. The singer, known as the “King of Love,” was the primary caregiver for his cellist father, Abdul Wadud, who suffered from schizophrenia. Devaughn lost his father in 2022 and recovered by going to therapy for the first time at the age of 40.
“It gives you a tool… a tool that you can use forever,” he said.
Speakers emphasized the need to break down the stigma surrounding mental health issues and prioritize mental health. They also highlighted the impact of COVID-19 and social injustice on mental health, and the importance of cultural humility and innovative solutions to address mental health challenges in marginalized communities. emphasized.
“COVID-19 has ripped the band-aid off and is beginning to impact the crisis facing our communities, communities of color, and young Black men and boys across the country,” McBath said. Told. “They are the fastest growing demographic in this country struggling with mental health. It’s heartbreaking and absolutely unacceptable.”
Anthony Estley, CEO of the National Association of Social Workers, called for more Black mental health providers and incentives for individuals to enter the field. Rep. Carter pointed to the Mental Health Workforce Act, which he introduced last year to address the lack of diversity. This bill would allow students at historically black colleges and universities to pursue careers as mental health care workers by providing student loan forgiveness to students who have dedicated five years of service to communities of color after graduation. It encourages the pursuit of
Panelists acknowledged Congressman Wilson’s leadership in addressing the mental health crisis affecting Black men and boys and emphasized the need for empathy and understanding to address these complex issues.
“Even in your darkest moments, you are not alone,” Carter told the young people attending the information session.
Other participants included Arthur Evans, CEO of the American Psychological Association; Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association. Daniel Gillison Jr., CEO of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. veteran Congressman Danny Davis; and Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Stephen Horsford.
The Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys conducts systematic studies of conditions that affect Black men and boys, including homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rates, poverty, violence, mortality, health, and academic performance. was established in 2020 for the purpose of . It is also responsible for proposing policies and government reforms aimed at alleviating these pressing problems. Ms. Wilson said she and Mr. Davis tried six times to get Congress to pay attention to the issues of black men and boys, but to no avail. The bill creating the commission was first passed after George Floyd died at the hands or knee of a white Minneapolis police officer.
“Headspace: Exploring the Mental Health of Black Men” OBSERVER special series.This project is reported with support from the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s 2024 Ethnic Media Collaboration, Healing California. Senior staff writer Genoa Barrow and The Observer are among the first participants in this collaboration.
