Community, Culture, and Courage: Minority Mental Health in Motion
July is the National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month [NMMHA] in the U.S. But mental health is something we should care about every day of our lives. Last Saturday, July 18th, 2025, during the NAACUS gathering, I didn’t just attend Mass—I witnessed healing in motion. It began with the music. Then the incense. Then the faces—brown, black, wrinkled, radiant, young, and seasoned. Women in uniform. Grandmothers with rhythm in their bones. And somewhere in that sacred swirl, I realized: Mental health isn’t just about medicine. It’s also about meaning.
As we approach the end of National Minority Mental Health Month, I’m reminded of how powerful it is to see ourselves reflected in spaces that affirm us spiritually, culturally, and emotionally. I had the honor of participating in the Offertory. I danced. I smiled. I moved with legs that once couldn’t. And in that moment, something old and something new inside me agreed: This is healing.
We don’t talk about mental health enough in our communities. And when we do, we often speak in hushed tones. But what I experienced that evening was loud in its love. Bold in its blessing. And grounded in the truth that community heals.
May we keep gathering in ways that restore us. May we keep showing up—for each other, and for ourselves. And may we remember: Our stories matter. Our minds matter. And so do our movements.
Population Served by NCNWCSO.org: This blog, while originating from the National Council of Negro Women Inc., Columbus Section (NCNWCSO), targets Central Ohio and serves Black women and their communities everywhere by emphasizing the importance of culturally affirming spaces and community support for mental well-being, addressing stigma, and promoting representation.
