WCCO radio host, Cottage Grove resident and community advocate, Sheletta Brundidge, is known for her infectious laughter and humor. However, in a recent heartfelt podcast episode, Brundidge delved into a more serious topic—mental health in the Black community.
As a mother of three children with autism, she candidly shared her struggles and the importance of seeking help when needed.
"We need to talk about this because there's so many of us out there who have kids with special needs like I do, and we feel this way," Brundidge said. “There were many times when I dressed my kids up and disguised them as if everything was alright, and it was not. We feel alone. We feel hurt. We aren't laughing because some of us are in a dark place."
To address these issues, Brundidge invited her friend Lambers Fisher, a marriage and family therapist, TEDx speaker, host of the Diversity Dude podcast and award-winning author of Diversity in Clinical Practice, to discuss the complexities of mental health in communities of color. Fisher emphasized the cultural stigmas and fears that often prevent individuals from seeking help.
Brundidge and Fisher discussed the importance of normalizing conversations about mental health. They also stressed the need for the Black community to feel more empowered to get professional help, feel safe when they're doing it and be aware of resources here for them when they need confidential emotional support, including the 988 Minnesota Lifeline.
"There's often this fear of judgment, fear of shame, fear of being looked down on," Fisher explained. "That judgment and shame is often one of the reasons why we're feeling overwhelmed. In an ideal world, we can share with family and friends. But if you can't, that's when resources like the 988 Minnesota Lifeline come into play," Fisher said.
When asked about how the Black community can begin to overcome fear and avoidance of talking about mental health, grief, loss, and other difficult topics, Fisher shared that “A lot of times, we can overcome fear and avoidance by talking about it, by addressing it, acknowledging that there's something there. It can't just be jump into the fire, rip off the band-aid. I know it's going to hurt, but do it anyway.”
He also said acknowledging that, like many physical ailments, if you don’t address or treat mental health issues, they will likely get worse instead of better. “You don't sweep physical pain underneath the rug,” stated Fisher. The same works with generational patterns that get passed on, pain, stress, overwhelm. If we don't address it, not only will it get worse for us over the years, but then we're modeling things to the next generation,” Fisher added.
Brundidge and Fisher also highlighted that when people are feeling overwhelmed and not at their best, that’s when having a neutral party can offer a unique outside perspective comes into play. They highlighted the benefits of engaging with trained specialists who may not be able to solve all of the world’s problems, but can help things feel less overwhelming, offer suggestions, help folks feel less alone, and help empower people to move forward.
Brundidge highlighted the 988 Lifeline's confidentiality and accessibility, stressing that free help is available 24/7 without fear of judgment or exposure. "We can overcome that fear factor that happens in the Black community, being afraid to get help, also being ashamed," Brundidge urged.
Brundidge aims to empower her community to seek help and support each other. She believes that by breaking the silence around mental health, individuals can find strength and hope in their most challenging times.
"Talking about it is one thing, praising it is another," Brundidge concluded. "We can all benefit from things like that, even in the most difficult times of loss and of grief and of mental health struggles. There's nothing that's off limits. If you're feeling overwhelmed, get the resources you can where you can." Brundidge's message is clear: No one has to face their struggles alone, and seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Through her advocacy, she hopes to create a more supportive and understanding community for all.
If you or someone you know needs emotional support with a hard situation like mental health, addiction, abuse, or loss, or you're even thinking about reaching out to a professional for help, don't wait. Call or text 988 right now, or chat on 988lifeline.org.
The 988 Minnesota Lifeline also has interpreting services for over 200 languages, from Somali to Spanish. For Spanish, call 988 & press 2. Text or chat in Spanish too. 988 specialists can patch in language interpreters to help callers.