Black America"s Relationship with Mental Health:

Black America’s Relationship with Mental Health explores one of the most critical and often overlooked dimensions of our community’s well-being—how history, culture, and access shape the way we experience and talk about mental health. For generations, Black families have carried the weight of collective trauma, systemic inequality, and cultural stigma around seeking therapy or emotional support. This discussion shines light on those realities while reclaiming a narrative rooted in healing, self-awareness, and community care. In this special episode, Let’s Talk 2 brings together voices from across the spectrum—therapists, advocates, parents, and youth—to unpack why mental health remains a complex topic in Black America. We look at the statistics: suicide is now the third leading cause of death among Black youth aged 15-34, yet access to culturally competent care remains dangerously low. Many in our community still encounter barriers of cost, trust, and representation, with only about 5% of psychologists identifying as Black. The conversation challenges the silence. It embraces new approaches rooted in empathy, spirituality, and cultural understanding. It asks how we can normalize seeking help, expand awareness of resources like the 988 crisis line, and strengthen family and faith-based support systems that already exist within our communities. Together, we’re breaking the stigma—turning pain into purpose, and silence into strength. Healing begins when we talk about it.