Black Health and Wellness: Pioneers in Mental Health

February 21, 2022

The 2022 Black History Month theme is “Black Health and Wellness.” 

In honor of this theme, we are highlighting black pioneers of mental health and wellness. These individuals dedicated their work to helping underserved communities and creating breakthroughs in mental health care. 

Bebe Moore Campbell (February 18, 1950 – November 27, 2006) advocated for creating safe spaces for black people to talk about their mental health concerns. Bebe worked tirelessly to shed light on mental health. In 2008, she was recognized as a mental health pioneer by the US Congress.

 “While everyone – all colors – everyone is affected by stigma – no one wants to say ‘I’m not in control of my mind.’ No one wants to say, ‘The person I love is not in control of [their] mind.’

But people of color really don’t want to say it because we already feel stigmatized by virtue of skin color or eye shape or accent and we don’t want any more reasons for anyone to say, ‘You’re not good enough.'” – Bebe Moore Campbell

E. Kitch Childs, Ph.D. (April 11, 1937 – ) 

Ellen Kitch Childs was a founding member of Chicago’s Gay Liberation Front and the Association for Women in Psychology. Her work centered around supporting black women, the LGBTQ+ community, and marginalized members in her community. 

Mamie Phipps Clark, Ph.D. (April 18, 1917 – August 11, 1983) And Kenneth Bancroft Clark, Ph.D. (July 14, 1914 – May 1, 2005)

The Clarks’ passion for mental health lead them to provide comprehensive services to minority children and families. They are best known for their “Doll Study” which provided invaluable data that school segregation was psychologically harmful to black children. This evidence was used in the Brown vs, The Board of Education case. 

“A racist system inevitably destroys and damages human beings; it brutalizes and dehumanizes them, blacks and whites alike.” – Mamie Phipps Clark

Jacki McKinney, M.S.W. (October 18th, 1934,-2021)

Jacki McKinney is a family advocate that used her adversities to better the minority communities. She is a trauma survivor, experienced addiction and homelessness, and a victim of many broken systems. She helped found the National People of Color Consumer/Survivor Network and has received many prestigious awards including one for her leadership and advocacy for trauma survivors.

Source: Google; https://www.mhanational.org/