Get local stories sent straight to your inbox as news breaks.
More than 35,000 #Black #Americans have died from #COVID-19 and people of color are infected 2.5 times more often than #white people. The toll isn’t just physical. The #mentalhealth impact is also significant.
On the outside, Ivy Watts appeared to have it all together. She was a track star growing up in Waltham. Her athletic and academic success continued in college, but #anxiety and #stress secretly weighed on her.
“People didn’t recognize that I was struggling,” Watts said.
After college, she experienced feelings of #depression and suicidal thoughts. She turned to a close friend and her mother, who both encouraged her to get the help she needed.
“I finally realized that my voice had a lot of power and that it wasn’t shameful to talk about what I was going through,” Watts said.
She launched a blog a few years ago to share her story and created a company, Ivy Watts Speaks, empowering others to talk to about their own #mentalhealth.
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
The site now has a dedicated #COVID-19 and #mentalhealth section. It couldn’t come at a more important time.
According to the #COVID Racial Data Tracker, a collaboration between the #COVID Tracking Project and Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research, #Black people die of #COVID-19 at more than two times the rate of white people. #American #Indian and #Latino communities are also hit hard.
It’s not just physical health. A recent report from the #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention found 10% of respondents had considered #suicide in June of 2020. Of those, more people of minority racial and ethnic groups had considered it, when compared to the year before.
The report found, “#Mentalhealthconditions are disproportionately affecting specific populations, especially young adults, #Hispanic persons, #Black persons … “
“Context is extremely important,” said Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at McLean Hospital.
She said #COVID-19 isn’t happening in a vacuum but at the same time as the deaths of #GeorgeFloyd and #BreonnaTaylor and the movements those events sparked.
“All of these incidents happened within the span of merely weeks, during a #pandemic in which #Black and #Latino people of color are disproportionately suffering from and dying. The traumatic impact of all of this taken together is very real,” said Pinder-Amaker.
She also said there are barriers to receiving proper diagnosis and treatment, including access.
“I really didn’t feel welcome. I felt like it wasn’t for me,” said Toy Burton.
Burton launched DeeDee’s Cry in 2017, an organization named after her sister, who died by #suicide in 1986. It is focused on #mentalhealthawareness in Boston’s communities of color.
“There’s already deterrents. There’s already stigmas. There’s already hurdles in the way. We don’t want accessibility to be one of them,” Burton said.
She meets people where they are at events like an Easter egg hunt, pre-#pandemic. It’s a chance for families to gather and learn about #mentalhealthresources, if they choose.
Now, she holds “#MentalHealth While Black” panels on Zoom and said she’s able to reach more people online, finding some healing in connection.
“I want people to hear the story so that they know they’re not alone. When we share our stories, we chip away at the #stigma that surrounds #mentalhealth in #communitiesofcolor,” Burton said.
If you or someone you know is seeking #mentalhealthservices, these resources may be of help:
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
