To celebrate Black History Month, GDC is spotlighting Black public figures who advocate for mental health care access and awareness. Here are four Black public figures who have used their platforms in their chosen careers to speak up about the importance mental health:
Simone Biles, Olympic Gymnast
Biles is the most medaled gymnast to date having competed in multiple international competitions, including the olympics. In 2021, she withdrew from the olympic final, citing her mental health. When asked about the decision, she told NPR:
“I say put mental health first. Because if you don’t, then you’re not going to enjoy your sport and you’re not going to succeed as much as you want to. So it’s OK sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are — rather than just battle through it.”
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Biles was recognized as Time Magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2021. She has since partnered with Cerebral, a mental health app, in order to reduce stigma around mental health conditions, especially in underserved communities. She is on Twitter (link) and Instagram, @simonebiles.
Rashid Johnson, Visual Artist
Much of Johnson’s work centers around African American intellectual history and cultural identity. Johnson uses everyday items like shea butter, recorded and live music, houseplants, and formative texts by Black thinkers in his artwork. His work also addresses themes of anxiety and generational trauma. Johnson discusses his own relationship to anxiety, being a father, and the art he’s been making during the pandemic in this article. His artwork is part of permanent collections across the United States and the world, and you can find him on Instagram @rashidjohnson.
Rachel Cargle, Academic, Writer, and Nonprofit Founder
Cargle founded The Loveland Foundation, a nonprofit that offers free therapy to Black women, girls, and gender expansive individuals. in 2018. She currently serves as its president. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, Forbes and Essence. Find inspiration from Cargle on Instagram (link) and Twitter (link), and keep an eye out for her book, coming out from Penguin-Random House this year!
Doug Middleton, NFL Player
Middleton is a professional football player who founded Dream the Impossible to raise awareness about mental health in the African American community. He hopes that the organization can “de-stigmatize mental health so that people don’t feel as though something is wrong with them.” Middleton works with adults and in schools to lower rates of suicide in North Carolina. Learn more about Middleton’s efforts on Dream the Impossible’s website (link) and Instagram (link).
These individuals have used their platforms in athletics, literature, and art to highlight the importance of good mental health practices in their professions and their communities. Or course we want to look to those who came before us by highlighting Black history, however it can be just as inspiring to look to those around us for motivation and support.
Who inspires you to do the same?
