PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A national tour made its way to West Philadelphia this weekend in order to help Black men find mental health healing.
The Just Heal Bro tour came to the Microsoft School of the Future at a dire time of need for underserved communities in Philadelphia. Host and panelist Lawrence Adjah says it provides a safe space for Black men to discuss emotions and unique challenges to the community.
“This is about how brothers can help manage their emotions, so their emotions don't manage them. And I think the statistics bear out the reality that emotions and trauma are taking our brothers too soon,” Adjah said.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says that suicide rates among Black males who are 10 to 19 years old have risen by 60% over the last two decades. The University of Houston says that the highest rate of suicide deaths occurs among Black men who are 25 to 34 years old.
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities explains that African American men are 20% more likely to have serious psychological distress than white men are, and Black men are only half as likely to request and receive mental health assistance as their white counterparts.
The tour has already been to several major cities across the U.S. addressing the stigma surrounding mental health.
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It brings a starstudded lineup of former professional athletes and mental health advocates. The tour is spearheaded by licensed therapist and former professional athlete Jay Barnett, as well as Actor Lamman Rucker.
Just Heal Bro is a global initiative designed to help Black men find strength in vulnerability, mental and emotional healing through education, emotional development, and tools for resiliency cultivation.
“This is about helping you to be the best version of yourself, your highest design. There are brothers that you respect who will be there, who ultimately want you to live the life that you were intended to live in,” said Adjah.
“I may not be able to find another Black male counselor who's ready tomorrow. But in the meantime, I can be a part of a cohort of one or two of the brothers who are going to give me a space weekly, to just vent and to talk through the things that I'm navigating, that is invaluable.”
And as Adjah put it, “I think we are each other's greatest asset.”
KYW Staff contributed to this report.
