Sacramento Observer publisher encourages Black men to attend mental health resource fair

CONTINUES TO BE A CONCERN IN THE U.S., AND A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR THE HEALTH OF BLACK MEN. AND THERE IS AN EVENT THIS WEEKEND THAT HOPES TO ADDRESS THEIR MENTAL HEALTH BY OFFERING RESOURCES. JOINING ME NOW IS LARRY LEE, THE PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER OF THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP, PART OF THE GROUP THAT IS PUTTING ON A SPECIAL RESOURCE FAIR. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. YEAH. TELL US ABOUT THIS EVENT THAT’S GOING ON. SO SATURDAY FROM 10 TO 2:00 AT THE OAK PARK COMMUNITY CENTER. THE OBSERVER WILL BE HOSTING A. OKAY. ARE YOU OKAY, BROTHER? UM, MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE FAIR. UM, THE IDEA IS REALLY TO HELP ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN HERE IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY. AND WE’RE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE USC SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM. AND, UH, ANNENBERG SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM. AND YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK REALIZING THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF RESOURCE FAIR. TELL US ABOUT THAT. ABSOLUTELY. OUR SENIOR STAFF WRITER, GENOA BARO, WHO’S DONE FANTASTIC HEALTH CARE WORK OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, REALLY DEDICATED THE FIRST PART OF THIS YEAR. SHE’S DONE 30 PLUS STORIES ON, YOU KNOW, THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN, EVERYTHING FROM CULTURAL COMPETENCY, CARE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DOING SURVEYS, REALLY GETTING BLACK MEN TO BE VULNERABLE AND TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. WE TALK SO OFTEN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE DISPARITIES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS, PARTICULARLY IN OUR OTHER HEALTH CARE NEEDS, WHETHER IT’S HYPERTENSION, STROKE AND OTHER ISSUES LIKE THAT. BUT VERY RARELY DO WE SPEAK ABOUT OUR MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. AND WHY IS THAT? THERE STIGMAS, YOU KNOW, THERE’S GENERATIONAL TRAUMA. THERE’S LOTS OF REASONS AS TO WHY IT IS NOT AN ONGOING SUBJECT MATTER FOR US AS A COMMUNITY. UM, BUT WE’RE HOPING THAT THROUGH THIS WORK, WE BEGIN TO HAVE THAT HEALING TYPE OF A CONVERSATION. IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS EVENT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO BREAK DOWN CERTAIN BARRIERS, BREAK DOWN THAT STIGMA, AND TRY TO HELP PEOPLE OPEN UP ABOUT IT. ABSOLUTELY. WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST CRITICAL BENEFIT OF DOING JUST THAT? UH, IT’S THAT INITIAL START AND REALLY KIND OF THAT SELF-REFLECTION FOR US AS A COMMUNITY. I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN REALLY TOUCH THOSE THAT MENTAL LIFE FOR FOLKS, IT REALLY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE SAW ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS WILL BE STEPHANIE CLARK. UM, YOU KNOW, WE SAW KIND OF THE TRAUMA THAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH AFTER THE MURDER OF HIS BROTHER. YEAH. AND HE HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL AND OPEN ABOUT YOU KNOW, HOW MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH AND THERAPY HAS HELPED HIM. SO THERE’S LOTS OF PEOPLE, LOTS OF STORIES LIKE THAT. WE’RE DEALING WITH NOT ONLY JUST THE REGULAR LIFESTYLE, TRAUMA THAT PEOPLE JUST GO THROUGH, BUT THEN REALLY THE RACIAL TRAUMA THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS GO THROUGH AS WELL, TOO. IT’S QUITE IT’S A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD. AND SO WE’RE REALLY HOPING THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THAT. SUCH AN IMPORTANT GATHERING. AND WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO PASS ALONG ABOUT THE FAIR ITSELF. UM, AGAIN, WALK US THROUGH WHERE, WHEN AND HOW PEOPLE CAN TAKE PART. SURE. SATURDAY MORNING IT’S A FREE EVENT AT THE OAK PARK COMMUNITY CENTER STARTING AT 10 A.M. UNTIL ABOUT 2:00. WE’LL BE DOING ALSO, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS WE’LL BE DOING IS A COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION WHERE WE’RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO JOIN WITH THE OBSERVER TO TALK ABOUT OUR COVERAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN. SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE REPORTING BY OUR NEWSROOM IN THAT, PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN THAT EXCELLENT INFORMATION. AND I REALLY WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK WITH THIS EVENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. FIRST EVER EVENT OF ITS KIND. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

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