Today, we honor Bebe Moore Campbell for being an advocate to those individuals of the Black and underrepresented communities struggling with mental illness…

Who is Bebe Moore Campbell?

She was the author of three New York Times best sellers: Brothers and Sisters, Singing in the Comeback Choir, and What You Owe Me, which was also a Los Angeles Times Best Book of 2001. Her other works include the novel Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and the winner of the NAACP Image Award for literature.

She was a commentator for National Public Radio and a contributing editor for Essence magazine, and her articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today Weekend, Black Enterprises, Ebony, and numerous other publications.

Campbell founded NAMI-Inglewood— now called NAMI Urban Los Angeles— in a predominantly Black neighborhood to create a safe space for Black people to discuss mental health after having to deal with her own families unique struggles.

So this month, we honor Campbell for breaking down barriers, creating a community and dismantling a stigma surrounding mental health.

Bebe Moore Campbell’s own journey started when her daughter began battling with mental illness. She had to navigate a flawed system that prevented her daughter from finding and receiving the help she needed.

Did you know…?

• Less than 9% of Asian adults sought mental health compared to the 18% of the general US population.
• Black people are more likely to receive a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia when expressing symptoms related to mood disorders.
• Only 39% of non-hispanic blacks or african american adults with mental illness received treatment in 2021
• Black and Latinx youth are about 14% less likely than White youth to receive treatment for depression.
• In 2018, a study found that the suicide rate of Black children 5 to 12 was nearly twice that of White children of the same age

sources:
nami.org – cdc.org – rtor.org