July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, but here at The Loveland Foundation we wanted to share the history behind the month and the woman we have to thank for it: Bebe Moore Campbell. In 2008 Congress passed the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month bill. So who was Bebe Moore Campbell? An advocate, journalist, and teacher. A four-time New York Times best selling author. A mother who struggled to support her daughter who suffered from mental illness leading to the co-founding of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Urban Los Angeles (@NamiCommunicate). The ground work that Bebe Moore Campbell made is just as important today as it was in 2008 when the Bill was passed. The 2022, “The State Of Mental Health In America”, report done by Mental Health America found that in 2019 almost 20 percent of adult Americans about 50 million people experienced a mental illness. About 27 million of those individuals do not receive treatment. 4.58 percent of adults have serious thoughts of suicide. 2.5 million youth in the United States have severe depression. Mental wellness is a human right. ESPECIALLY, in BIPOC communities, where we experience the same rates of mental illnesses with those of the general population. BUT, also experience disparities in regard to mental health care services. Black Americans often receive poorer quality of care and lack access to culturally competent care. In the United States Black people are less likely to receive consistent care, less frequently included in research and more likely to seek care via the emergency room or primary care rather than with a mental health expert. Black people are less likely to be offered either evidence-based medication therapy or psychotherapy. We are abundantly grateful for Bebe Moore Campbell, and the work she accomplished. Mental Health services should not be a luxury item, this is our mission, this is why we do the work we do. Special thanks @YasmineJameelah for bringing the work and history of Bebe Moore Campbell to our attention, this video could not have happened without you. 🎞: @absolutegravitymedia 🎙: @miriam.starobin See end of video for source list