Silence is NOT an Option
May 2025
Mental Health Awareness Month
National Stroke Awareness Month
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia: May 17, 2025
Military Appreciation Month
I. Mental Health Awareness Month – We invite you to watch this report on the barriers that prevent Black people from pursuing mental health care. Amongst the many things we learn, a stark statistic is that 25% of African Americans seek mental health care compared to 40% of White Americans.
II. National Stroke Awareness Month- In this 2023 study, we learn that Black women who reported experiences of interpersonal racism in situations involving employment, housing, and interactions with police appeared to have an increased risk of stroke, even after accounting for demographic and vascular risk factors, suggesting that the high burden of racism experienced by Black US women may contribute to racial disparities in stroke incidence.
III. International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia- We’d like to introduce you to a new YouTube Channel to subscribe: Making Gay History. In season 6 episode 3, we learn about activist Barabara Smith who, was a woman against misogyny, an African American against racism, a lesbian against homophobia, and a Black lesbian against those in the gay rights movement who sideline the concerns of LGBTQIA+ people of color.
IV. Military Appreciation Month- If you have seen the movie Men of Honor, then you must know about the story of Master Chief Master Diver Carl Brashear who faced hostility and racism in the American military. In this interview, he tells more details about his harrowing experiences as he served our country.
***CALL TO ACTION***
Print and post this printable information sheet (PDF) in your workplaces or share with your family and friends to raise awareness about preventing stroke in the African American community.
AND
Follow the Mesa Pride Center Instagram page to stay up to date on events supporting LGBTQIA+ people of color. Attend these events and stay engaged!
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
