Black & African American
Research on the mental health of Black college students repeatedly demonstrates that Black students are expected to negotiate unique stressors while forging their identities in the context of racism within their institution and beyond. Many Black college students contend with racial discrimination, isolation and alienation, hostile campus climates, limited institutional resources, interpersonal race-related stressors (e.g., racial group conformity and race-related achievement concerns), and concerns of family/community disconnect. Inevitably, these factors can impact mental health by increasing anxiety, depression, trauma, imposter syndrome, and negative self-esteem. Building culture-based communities of support and resilience have typically increased Black students’ academic success and satisfaction in college.
CaPS sees the stressors that our Black students carry in predominantly White spaces and recognizes the importance of having room to speak to that and armor against it. These resources specifically support Black well-being and the many intersecting needs of the community.
Related Student Organizations at CMU
- SPIRIT - A Black student union at CMU that aims to serve as a haven for Black students and champion the issues and awareness of the Black community and all of its intersections.
- Black Graduate Student Association (BGSO) - BGSO is a CMU student organization that provides graduate students with cultural, academic and professional support and is committed to inspiring its members to be active leaders in the CMU and Pittsburgh communities.
- National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) - NSBE is one of the largest student-managed organizations in the country, with more than 29,000 members nationally. The organization is dedicated to the academic and professional success of African-American engineering students and professionals.
- Young African Leaders Association (YALA) - YALA is a multicultural student organization at CMU that celebrates the intricacies of and stimulates conversations about the various cultures, socioeconomic states, political climates and innovative opportunities of Africa.
Clinical Directory & Mental Health Resources
- Therapy for Black Girls - Seeks to help Black girls and women find Black therapists nationwide to facilitate a client-therapist connection
- Therapy for Black Men - A national directory of therapists and coaches who can provide judgment-free, multiculturally-competent care to Black men
- Steel Smiling - A local organization that bridges the gap between community members and mental health support through education, advocacy, and awareness
- Family-Care, Community-Care and Self-Care Toolkit: Healing in the Face of Cultural Trauma - A tool kit developed by the Association of Black Psychologists to provide an evidence-informed, psychologically sound, culturally grounded process to help Black people heal from the trauma caused by racism and white supremacy culture (written in English and Spanish)
- Healing in Action: A Toolkit for Black Lives Matter, Healing Justice and Direct Action - A toolkit from Black Lives Matter offering healing justice via direct action to support well-being and draw energy from naming and sourcing the visions of Black people more often than our wounds
- GirlTrek - A social organization that focuses on Black women’s self-care through walking to heal bodies, inspire daughters, and reclaim neighborhoods
- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network - Assists people in finding QTPoC therapists
- Black Men Heal - Provides resources for men of color for mental health treatment, psycho-education and community resources
- The Loveland Foundation - Rachel Cargle’s non-profit foundation that provides funding for therapy, supports community and mental health with a focus on women and girls of color
- The Nap Ministry - Founded in 2016, Tricia Hersey, aka The Nap Bishop, focuses on rest and restoration as forms of resistance for black and brown bodies