Diversity Council hosts conversation about mental health in black and Latino communities
Photo by Savannah Jones.
On Wednesday, Nov. 13, Lee’s Diversity Council in collaboration with the Leetinos and the Black Student Union held an event that covered the topic of mental health to validate people’s struggles within their communities.
Lee faculty members advocated for this event by participating in the panel. They gave insight, shared their experiences and educated those in the crowd to fuel this conversation.
The panel included Student Success Coordinator Golden Madume, Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Arlie Tagayuna, Professor of French and Spanish Dr. Sara Ortega and Financial Aid Counselor India Durden.
The panel answered questions about how minorities approach and handle mental health, what stigmas exist in their communities and what it feels like for a person of color to see a white clinician.
Recurring themes throughout the event centered around shame, spirituality, cultural competency and defining the difference between mental health and mental illness.
Angelica Alvarado, senior sports management major and president of Leetinos, and Kiara Quick, senior psychology major and president of the Black Student Union, formulated their own questions about the topic and consulted a counselor for advice in asking difficult questions.
Alvarado said this event was arranged to educate about the importance of mental health awareness and accommodations needed for these communities as it has typically been an unfamiliar topic of conversation.
“The more we talk about the mental health crisis and stigmas, the more we can change,” Quick said.
Quick and Alvarado wanted their clubs to be involved because this is an issue they both face and want to confront together.
“This is a cycle we want to break,” said Alvarado, “and we want to be able to bring everyone together and be able to say that it’s okay to not be okay. In the end, we want everyone to be involved in some way to help our generation to be able to speak on something as important as mental health.”
Quick has experienced firsthand how reaching out for help and talking about the issue — even when it is extremely difficult — can transform one’s life, so she hopes this event sparked that same realization in someone else.
“Although change is not always easy, it is in the midst of that we find who we are destined to be,” Quick said.
Madume said he wanted to be part of this conversation because of his experience as a student and now as a professional. He wanted to “navigate this conversation” by offering support and helpful resources.
“I want people to walk away with a specific and achievable goal they can implement in their lives and relationships to be better,” Madume said.
For more information about Leetinos or the Black Student Union, contact Angelica Alvarado at aalvar01@leeu.edu or Kiara Quick at kquick00@leeu.edu.
