Mental health awareness for Black Heritage Month
In honor of Black Heritage Month, two departments at TAMUK teamed up to give an informational discussion on Wednesday about mental health for Black students.
Professional Counselor of Student Health and Wellness Maria Coolbaugh went into detail about Black mental health facts, stigmas, self-care and micro aggressions. It was also discussed how the Health and Wellness accepts all students no matter their race, religion and ethnicity.
“My hope is that students from all populations and communities gained more information about mental health for Black students. I also hope that those who are not people of color learned how to be an ally for someone in their life who is Black/ African American. Lastly, I would like for an event like this to deepen the discussion of social injustice locally, nationally and worldwide,” Coolbaugh said.
Student Mia Hess expressed that university discussions such as these should be more inclusive in order to help individuals feel safe to express their struggles without being judged. She also mentioned that her favorite part of the presentation was how the speaker approached the topics regarding systemic racism and white privilege.
“I feel as though on campus my voice gets shut down when I bring up the topic, and it’s been like this since high school. But I shouldn’t have to get used to feeling invalidated by my own peers and professors. As a Black woman, I’m supposed to be strong, invincible, and courageous enough to take on the pains of my life without help,” Hess said.
Resources were given to participants who attended the event that included examples of racial micro aggressions and mental health resources for Black/ African Americans. Ways to provide self-care were discussed as well such as mediation, exercise, watching a movie and reading.
“This time right now is definitely a chance for our university to educate and emphasize the mental health resources available to the students,” criminal justice major Alberto Oliveira said.