Social Justice-Informed
Mental Health Literacy
Juneteenth, June 19th, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Texans learned that slavery was ending and that "absolute equality" had arrived. This occurred two months after the end of the Civil War and two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is a time to celebrate, honor, and commemorate Black lives, culture, ancestry and history. We have not abolished anti-Black racism and oppression, so absolute equality remains a hopeful beacon and an unrealized fundamental human right.
One set of strategies for working toward this beacon is "Social Justice-Informed Mental Health Literacy". As defined by the BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health) Collective, Social Justice-Informed Mental Health:
- Is mental health education framed in the social-historical context of inequality that aids in the skills building, healing and liberation of communities;
- Was created because traditional mental health literacy models fail at contextualizing how the histories of racism, misogynoir, and homophobia influence mental health stressors and outcomes today;
- Is rooted in the desire to affirm the legacy of Black people’s experiences with psychology; and
- Asserts that Black healing is essential to Black liberation.
The BEAM Collective provides multiple youth resources for promoting Social Justice-Informed Mental Health Literacy. These include graphics with tips for emotional awareness, self-control, and accountability, and Affirmation Journal Prompts. Affirmations can help kids believe and realize positive things about themselves, buffer stress, and even improve problem-solving. Please see below to learn about this work and access these resources, which we hope will help us achieve absolute equality. We wish you a safe and joyful Juneteenth.
Resources
Events and Webinars
