Everywhere We Go: Mental Health & Communities of Color
An empathy to action film campaign breaking down the barriers to important conversations on mental health issues in communities of color.
ABOUT THE FILM:
Following teenagers in the POC community who are battling mental illness and how it affects them in their everyday life. This film is one of four short social-impact documentaries co-produced by GlobalGirl Media + Women’s Voices Now, summer 2018.
CREATED BY: Arielle Davis, Elaina Guerrero, Keianna Johnson, Josie Ramirez, Angie Rodriguez
EVERYWHERE WE GO SCREENING GUIDE AND CALLS TO ACTION
PRE-FILM REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- Has anything ever happened to you that made you feel isolated, that you were the only person ever going through that, and/or felt like you had to keep a secret from the people closest to you?
- If so, how did this affect your life in school, with your friends, and with your family?
- To your knowledge, what is mental illness?
- Does anyone that you know struggle with mental illness?
- If you were struggling with mental illness, are you familiar with resources, either people or organizations that you would feel comfortable reaching out to?
POST-FILM DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- Natalie mentions that, often, Latina women are not taken seriously regarding mental health due to certain stereotypes. What can we do to ensure people are seen and heard in spite of stereotypes in general? Have you ever felt disregarded because of a particular stereotype?
- Have you ever been silenced or ignored because of a particular stigma associated with what you are looking for information about?
- Lalah talks about one of the reasons for the stigma of mental illness in communities of color is the fact that it is seen as being weak, that it is “a white people thing.” Is that your experience as well? How do you address this in your family, school, community?
- Both Natalie and Lalah mention how they feel especially disregarded by the male figures in their families when talking about mental health. Why might this be so?
- Natalie describes how painting saved her while dealing with depression. Lalah describes how being engaged with others and doing school work helped alleviate her anxiety. If you have struggled with mental illness, what kind of outlets have worked for you and why?
- SHARE THIS CAMPAIGN, copy/paste:
On Twitter and Facebook
#EverywhereWeGo #mental #health issues follow. Watch a short doc by #femaleyouth on breaking down barriers to #dialogue in #communitiesofcolor. #mentalhealthawareness. Join the #empathytoactionfilmclub #womensvoicesnow @WomensVoicesNow @GlobalGirlMedia https://bit.ly/2PCfzNZ
On Instagram
#EverywhereWeGo #mental #health issues follow. Watch a short doc by #femaleyouth on breaking down barriers to #dialogue in #communitiesofcolor. #POC #mentalhealthawareness. Join the #empathytoactionfilmclub. #womensvoicesnow #bethechange @Womens_Voices_Now @GlobalGirlMedia https://bit.ly/2PCfzNZ
2. HOST A SCREENING OF THIS FILM using this screening guide:
At Home
At Your School
At Your Youth Group Meeting Place
At Your Community Center
Include a conversation about mental health using Bring to Mind’s Talk Tool.
3. Take the National Alliance on Mental Illness Stigma Free Pledge.
4. Check in with your friends when they seem down + Support your family members and friends by LISTENING when they want to talk about mental health.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800.273.TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
Check out Project LETS and their extensive list of Resources.
Organizations to Support:
Reading Materials:
- Fight the Stigma: 9 Ways To Fight Mental Health Stigma
- Read this article on why mental health is different in communities of color in Rest for Resistance Magazine
- Read this article from Teen Vogue
- Educate yourself: National Alliance on Mental Health
ABOUT WOMEN’S VOICES NOW:
Women’s Voices Now (WVN), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, advocates women’s rights by using the power of social impact film to influence media and culture. We carry out our mission with a free streaming archive of international women’s rights based films, our annual online film festival, educational programs, screening events, our digital publication, multimedia workshops and trainings, and a film fiscal sponsorship program.
As a non-governmental organization with special consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2017, our work is internationally recognized as impacting the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs): increasing good health and well being (SDG3); providing quality education (SDG4); promoting gender equality (SDG5); working toward reduced inequalities (SDG10); establishing peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG16); and establishing partnerships to achieve the SDGs (SDG17).
To republish an article from The WVoice in its entirety or as a derivative work, you must attribute it to the author and Women’s Voices Now, and include a reference and hyperlink to the original article.
If you would like to contribute to The WVoice, please review the Submission Guidelines.
