05/29/2025
May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time when conversations around emotional well-being surface in our communities, workplaces, and media. But there’s one conversation that still lingers on the margins: men’s mental health.
We live in a culture that teaches boys early on to "man up," "shake it off," and “figure it out on your own.” The lessons are often unspoken but loud:
Don’t cry.
Don’t talk about it.
Don’t ask for help.
Instead, the messages are clear: your value comes from what you produce. How much money you bring in. Whether you’re strong, reliable, and unfazed. You are measured by your output, not your inner world.
By adulthood, many men find themselves emotionally malnourished—carrying stress, shame, and grief with nowhere to put it. They're expected to be providers, protectors, and partners… but were never taught how to process emotion, nurture a child, or even care for themselves.
And for Black men, the weight is even heavier.
The Double Burden
For Black men, this conditioning is compounded by a legacy of racial trauma and generational survival. We are often taught to be “twice as good” just to get half as far. We’re expected to be strong in the face of injustice, composed under pressure, and unwavering despite discrimination.
We carry the trauma of systems that were never designed with us in mind—systems that over-police, under-diagnose, and almost never offer care that feels safe or culturally competent.
We’re not just resisting vulnerability because of ego or pride. We’ve learned that showing emotion can be dangerous. That asking for help can be met with judgment or abandonment. That healing spaces were not built for us.
What We’re Not Taught
Many men—especially Black men—were not taught:
How to sit with sadness.
How to name anxiety.
How to care for our bodies without judgment.
How to be emotionally present for our partners.
How to parent with softness as well as strength.
We were taught to grind, provide, and endure.
And the result?
We suffer. Silently.
Men are less likely to seek therapy. More likely to experience substance abuse. More likely to die by su***de. Black men, in particular, face higher rates of misdiagnosed or undiagnosed mental health conditions, and are far less likely to receive adequate treatment.
A New Definition of Strength
But here’s the truth: taking care of your mental health is not weakness. It’s wisdom.
And we’re seeing a shift.
Across the country, barbershops are becoming therapy spaces. Podcasts and men’s circles are giving voice to suppressed emotion. And here in Whatcom County, our Sankofa Wellness Project is creating sacred space for Black men to begin the healing process—together.
We believe it's time to redefine what it means to be a man.
To center wholeness over hustle.
To teach boys and men that being nurturing, emotionally intelligent, and vulnerable is not only okay—it’s necessary.
How You Can Support
Whether you are a man carrying this silent weight, or someone who cares about one, now is the time to take action.
Normalize therapy and emotional conversations.
Check in on your brothers, fathers, friends, and sons.
Donate to or support organizations creating healing spaces for men.
Encourage rest, softness, and community—not just productivity.
Mental Health Awareness Month is not just about awareness. It’s about changing the narrative.
Because when men are supported, whole, and emotionally healthy—everyone benefits. Families strengthen. Communities heal. Cycles break.
It’s time.
To learn more about our work or to support holistic healing for Black men, visit https://www.bconnected.info/copy-of-ways-to-give.
