COLUMBIA – Mental health has historically been considered taboo in the Black community, but the issue took center stage with the death of a Lincoln University administrator.
Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey, Lincoln’s Vice President of Students, died by suicide in January. The death made national headlines and sparked discussions about mental health among those in leadership positions.
Tasca Tolson is a certified trauma-informed mental health professional, and counsels one-on-one as well as in group settings.
Therapist Tasca Tolson works at her desk at TMT Counsulting in Columbia, Mo. Tolson says talking about mental health is an important step in normalizing the issue, which has historically been considered taboo in the Black community.
“My mission is to normalize mental health. I believe that language is so important,” Tolson said, “and so, having those conversations and just talking about it is going to be a big place to start.”
Conversations surrounding mental health can be uncomfortable for anyone, but Tolson hopes to help remove the stigma around mental health, specifically in the Black community.
“We’ve been raised to be so ‘on it’ and ‘pull up your boot straps,’ and ‘suck it up’ and ‘make it happen’ for so long, Tolson said. “Nobody says it’s okay to be tired.”
Alumni association president Dr. Sherman Bonds says one of the barriers to seeking help is the fear of judgment.
Tolson and Bonds both say the more responsibility you have, the harder it is to ask for help.
“I’m only good as the support that I receive for the positions of which I articulate,” Bonds said, “but I could easily lose that privilege to lead and can be abandoned.”
There is also a pressure to excel.
“A lot of people really feel like, when you’re looking at Black and brown leadership, that you are doing it for the whole culture,” Tolson said. “It is not just I’m making a mistake. It is for all the people that came before me—that allowed me to be in this position—is why I have to do well.”
Tolson said it can be hard to find a therapist from the same racial group, but therapy is not the only option, especially if you can not afford the costs.
“One of the best ways to take care of yourself is just knowing that you did a little better than you did the day before,” said Tolson.
Tolson said conversations around mental health should continue in the Black community and beyond to help reduce the stigma.