Source: Steve Mack / Getty
Social media rallied around rapper Kid Cudi when he publicly announced his struggle with depression on his Facebook page.
The Cleveland native announced that he was checking himself into a treatment center after a long time battle with anxiety and suicidal urges.
Lauding his transparency, fans took to twitter to start an important conversation around Black men and mental health.
Depression in the black community, particularly among men, has always been a hush hush topic. Because of this stigma, many African-Americans lack education about mental disorders and lack access to reliable health care resources.
But Kid Cudi inadvertently became a leader of a movement yesterday when hundreds of men and women were inspired to speak openly about their pain.
Coining the hashtag #yougoodman, Twitter users @DaynaLNuckolls and @TheCosby encouraged men to check in with each other and speak openly about mental health.
Many others tagged on to the conversation, sharing their experience via the hashtag:
https://twitter.com/JRocIsMajor_/status/783703023717462017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/lame______/status/783691175874088960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
It was an important moment to bust open the misconceptions about depression to encourage everyone to seek help when they need it.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services of Minority Health, Black people are 10% more likely to report having psychological distress than white people. Because our communities are disproportionally effected, public conversations around depression are necessary to point people to resources and support.
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