Atlanta, GA— On April 22nd, a Kickstarter was launched for Ourselves Black, an online and print magazine that explores black mental health, broadly defined. This campaign introduces a new way to explore the mental health to mental illness continuum in the black community and expand discussion around the topic.
Ultimately, mental health issues cannot be a source of shame. They must be understood and ultimately addressed. The new Ourselves Black campaign brings a powerful counter-narrative about black humanity to the world.
Founder Dr. Sarah Vinson explains, “Black Americans are tasked with navigating a society with a school to prison pipeline flowing with black children, with workplaces where we are the last hired and first fired, and where routine police encounters summon a legitimate fear of death.”
“Stressors abound, but so does resilience,” says Vinson. “Mental health issues cannot be a source of shame. They must be understood and ultimately addressed.”
Historically, mental illness in the black community has too often gone untreated and unchecked. Rather than starting a dialogue, community members may shun the topic or quickly change the conversation. This cuts off productive conversations that can have a positive impact on mental health.
The Ourselves Black print and online magazine inspires readers to understand the relevance of mental health in many areas of personal, social and professional life. It also digs deep into black mental health and illness, using a diversity of perspectives. The multi-media project includes an online and print magazine, a podcast, and an innovative feature named Field Notes.
“As a psychiatrist, I know that providing mental health care as usual is not enough,” says Vinson. “So many people will never make it into my office – or even think to do so. This magazine is visually appealing with accessible engaging content and designed to inspire conversations about black mental health in unexpected places and ways.”
This project has the potential to bring a revolutionary new approach to mental illness and remove the stigma within the black community. To help sustain and grow this project, a Kickstarter campaign has been launched.
In exchange for pledging to the project, backers can gain access to this opportunity to own a digital version of the magazine for $10 or a print issue of the magazine for only $40. There are a range of donation levels available to backers including a random photo thank you card of outtakes of the shoots and social media shout out at the $20 level. There is also print issue 1 signed by Dr. Vinson, a thank you card, and a tote bag at the $75 level. Through your support, you’ll be a part of transforming the conversation amount mental illness in the black community.
For more information, please visit the Kickstarter page here or contact the creator below.
Contact Information:
Website: www.kickstarter.com
