ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A Crawford W. Long Middle School classroom has transformed into a safe space where students, specifically young Black men, can express their feelings without judgment.
It’s all thanks to a new program called “Black Boys Better” from the non-profit Creative Connections.
“I was a Black man, a Black boy once upon a time, who didn’t have space to deal with my emotions,” said Chris James, director of Creative Connections.
James, who is a certified mental health first aider, knows what it feels like to deal with depression.
According to data from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, young Black men are twice as likely to die by suicide than white young men.
“When I was 16, I had a son. When I was 16, both of my big brothers went to prison for 25 and 40 years,” he said.
James has now made it his mission to help other young Black men better understand anger, depression, and anxiety and manage their emotions.
That includes coping skills like breathing, listening to uplifting music, exercise, and journaling.
“Black boys are suspended at a higher rate or they get harsher punishments like being expelled or going to jail as a result of them responding to their emotional stressors,” James said.
Stressors for the population of Crawford W. Long Middle School in southwest Atlanta include mental health issues in the home and socio-economic barriers.
“This really is reaching out to an underserviced population of those who have usually been told it’s not okay to share your emotions. It’s not okay to have that conversation,” said Carla McCall-McCou, principal of Crawford W. Long Middle School.
James hopes the program has the potential to save lives.
“With all my heart, I hope that this program gives the young boys the skills to respond to stressors in a way that they don’t harm themselves or others,” he said.
The Black Boys Better program is now in Hancock, Fulton, and Chatham Counties and is funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
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