The Time is Now! A Radio Show That Speaks to Mental Health Topics in the African American Community

“Welcome to the Healing-Circle Radio Show, where we support, connect, and share!” This is the opening for my weekly radio show on iHeart Radio, Hallelujah1600AM. The show focuses on mental health topics in the African American community. There is a need for mental health programing for this audience due to America’s current predicament. With the election results hitting many of us with shock, fear, and disbelief we must come together to heal. But with healing comes fighting, fighting for our way of life, our health, and our families to thrive in the 2000’s and beyond. Not only has the election heightened paranoia in many communities around the United States, there is a stigma of mental health in the African American community. 13.2% of the U.S. population identifies as Black or African American, of those, over 16% had a diagnosable mental illness in the past year (taken from http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/african-american-mental-health). The percentage of African Americans going to and completing college continues to increase and Black owned businesses in the United States has increased 34.5% between 2007 and 2012 (taken from http://blackdemographics.com/economics/black-owned-businesses/). Black professionals continue to thrive, however, racism continues to have an impact on the mental health of Blacks. White people make up roughly 62% of the population in the United States but only about 49% of those who are killed by police officers. African Americans, however, account for 24% of those shot and killed by the police despite being just 13 % of the United States population (taken from https://www.washingtonpost.com/).

African Americans need a voice, resources to apply in our daily life, and support in our relationships, professional growth, and raising our children. For these reasons I’m so excited about the show! We will be talking about couples healing through getting counseling, healing through talking to your teen, and healing through finding your professional purpose. Within these topics, dealing with in-laws, effective communication, and texting and your teen will be explored. Listeners have a chance to write in to the show and share their thoughts, questions, and comments. It’s an interactive show that is doing its part to make a change in an ever changing world. Join us on Saturdays at 5:30pm!

St. Louis Listeners: 1600AM.
Online: http://hallelujah1600.iheart.com/
Phone app: http://news.iheart.com/features/get-the-iheartradio-app-240/.

Please note, this week the show will air on Sunday, 11/20, at 9:30am