Celebrate And Bring Awareness To Your Community

 

The US House of Representatives proclaimed July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in 2008, aiming to improve access to mental health treatment and services for multicultural communities through increased public awareness. Since then, individuals and organizations around the country have joined NAMI in celebrating the Month and increasing awareness. 

 

Bebe Moore Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bebe Moore Campbell was an accomplished author, advocate, co-founder of NAMI Urban Los Angeles and national spokesperson, who passed away in November 2006. She received NAMI's 2003 Outstanding Media Award for Literature. Campbell advocated for mental health education and support among individuals of diverse communities.

 

In 2005, inspired by Campbell’s charge to eliminate stigma and provide mental health information, longtime friend Linda Wharton-Boyd suggested dedicating a month to the effort. When Campbell reacted with, “You can’t just do that,” Wharton-Boyd responded, “Claim it!” And together they did. The duo got to work, outlining the concept of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and what it would entail. With the support of the D.C. Department of Mental Health and then-mayor Anthony Williams, they held a news conference in Southeast D.C., where they encouraged residents to get mental health checkups. Support continued to build as Campbell and Wharton-Boyd held book signings, spoke in churches and created a National Minority Mental Health Taskforce of friends and allies.

 

However, the effort came to a halt when Campbell became too ill to continue. When Campbell lost her battle to cancer, Wharton-Boyd and a cadre of friends, family and ally advocates reignited their cause, fueled by the passion to honor the life of an extraordinary woman. The taskforce members researched and obtained the support of Representatives Albert Wynn [D-MD] and Diane Watson [D-CA], who cosigned legislation to create an official minority mental health awareness month.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BEBE MORE & MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AWARNESS MONTH, VISIT: NAMI.ORG