Since its formation in 2014, the nonprofit Black Girl Health has strived to help improve the health of black women through education, workouts and more.
This January, the organization is targeting mental health with its first-ever “Minds Matter” campaign.
Across six weeks, the Black Girl Health’s nonprofit arm, Black Girl Health Foundation Inc., will hold free workshops focusing on different aspects of mental health at Dauphin Counties libraries.
“We decided to specifically focus on mental health because there is not enough awareness on this topic and there are so many people who need help but don’t get it,” said Porcha Johnson, founder of Black Girl Health. “We want to detach that stigma, and we hope to motivate people to get help with their mental health and also provide resources and let people know where that help is.”
The workshops include panels that address postpartum depression, stress, racial and cultural disparities in treatment, yoga, natural remedies to help combat anxiety and more.
The campaign kicks off Saturday, Jan. 10, with Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick, Shalawn James, acting executive director of Mental Health Association of PA (MHAPA), and Deshauna Barber, 2016’s Miss USA and a former army captain. Barber will present the campaign’s keynote address and discuss how she navigated through post-traumatic stress disorder.
James will speak on the history of black people in America and its impact on mental health over the years, as well as some of the resources MHAPA provides.
“Black women represent one of the underserved portions of our communities where mental health impacts everyday life,” James said. “So, part of my work with [Black Girl Health] is to bring awareness to that and to also help with some larger initiatives of acquiring more therapists of color and targeting, not just African American women, but African Americans in general.”
Johnson said the panel, “Mom’s Suffering in Silence,” on Jan. 18 is especially important to her. After having her baby, retiring early from her job as a reporter for WGAL and becoming a full-time mother and entrepreneur, Johnson said she went through a “mental shock.”
“There is so much stress in being a mom—trying to be a good mother, taking care of your children, keeping relationships…we go through so much,” she said. “We, as women, often try to multi-task and do everything and that often leads to stress that leads to chronic illnesses.”
Through Black Girl Health, Johnson hopes to help prevent that stress and encourage women to relieve stress through yoga, meditation, natural supplements and therapy.
“All these solutions are going to be presented at the event,” she said. “I want to present these to help people live healthy lifestyles. That’s what it’s really about, increasing the longevity of life.”
The Minds Matter campaign runs from Jan. 10 to Feb. 15. All events are free with registration that can be found on the campaign’s website.
“We brought this to Harrisburg for free because it’s so important, and we want everyone to be able to get help and I hope people take advantage of this opportunity,” Johnson said. “I want people to see that there is help around, and I want people to get motivated to actually seek out that help.”
To register, visit mindsmatter.blackgirlhealthfoundation.org. For more information on Black Girl Health visit blackgirlhealth.com.
