Black Mental Health Week: Stories of Advocacy, Resilience, and Hope

Black Mental Health Week is a time to reflect, amplify voices, and take action toward improving mental health care for Black communities. Systemic barriers, stigma, and a lack of culturally responsive support have long made it difficult for Black individuals to access the mental health resources they need. However, advocacy and lived experiences continue to drive change.

To highlight the importance of Black mental health, we spoke with three CAMH Engage volunteers—Anaya Boucaud, Radz Mpofu, and Jessica Ugiagbe —who are using their voices to push for awareness, support, and meaningful change. Their stories shed light on the gaps that exist, the progress being made, and the power of community in fostering healing.

Anaya’s Story: Advocating for the Support She Once Needed

What inspired you to get involved in mental health advocacy?

I’ve been involved in mental health awareness for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was the “mom friend”—always checking in on people and speaking up for those who needed it. To this day, there are people who first knew me as “Mama” rather than Anaya.

As a teenager, I experienced intimate partner violence for years and felt completely alone. I didn’t have the language to describe what I was going through, and I struggled to find support that reflected my experiences or the culture I grew up in. That realization pushed me to challenge the gaps in mental health advocacy. I wanted other young Black girls to feel seen, supported, and inspired to challenge things, too.

My advocacy is both personal and communal, and it’s always evolving.

What’s one moment in your mental health journey that made you feel seen, supported, or empowered?

When I began sharing my story, small moments of kindness made me feel like I had a village. I think about professors and Student Wellness teams who were accommodating and reminded me that I didn’t have to carry my struggles alone.

One of the biggest lessons came from the Sexual Violence Response team, who told me that my experience as a survivor might feel different because of my race. That was jarring, but also one of the kindest things they could have done. It prepared me for the realities of healing and showed me the importance of finding spaces that truly saw me.

That understanding empowered me to return to therapy during the pandemic, when conversations about learning and unlearning were everywhere. Speaking with a therapist who looked like me changed everything. Therapy remains a grounding force, especially in my work as a gender-based violence prevention educator. Without the kindness of those early supporters, I don’t know if I would have recognized what it truly means to feel safe—not just in my healing, but in the work I do and the people I support.

What community-led mental health initiatives have made a real difference in the Black community?

There are so many incredible initiatives. Organizations like Parents of Black Children advocate for Black students and families while offering a mental health fund in partnership with Black clinicians. There’s also a widely shared open-access Google Doc listing Black therapists and allies across Canada.

What’s especially meaningful to me is how mental health advocacy is expanding beyond traditional spaces. Some of my closest friends are therapists, while others contribute through community education, creative storytelling, or simply using their platforms to share their own journeys. The work is happening in so many forms, and that’s what makes it powerful.

What gives you hope for the future of Black mental health?

My work, in every capacity, gives me hope. The fact that more people are challenging stigma, prioritizing mental wellness, and creating spaces where healing is accessible and affirming is proof of progress.

Radz’s Story: Between Two Exits, Fighting His Mind for His Life

What inspired you to get involved in mental health advocacy?

I have struggled with mental health throughout my life but went undiagnosed until shortly after my 30th birthday. At the time, I had just experienced my first tech startup exit when PagerDuty went public on the NYSE in 2019. Immediately after, I entered the darkest chapter of my life.

Within a year and a half, I experienced financial ruin, homelessness, being an inpatient at CAMH, incarceration, suicidal ideation, and my first journey through the Canadian legal and justice system. All of this happened during COVID and the resurgence of the BLM movement, following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Regis Korchinski-Paquet.

I was diagnosed on the same day as my niece’s first birthday—July 11, 2019. Coming out on the other side of that experience, I now manage a sales team in AI, sit as a board director at CAMH, and have gone through my second startup exit. Now, I want to give back.

What’s one moment in your mental health journey that made you feel seen, supported, or empowered?

There was nothing positive about my mental health journey, but I heard a quote in 2021 that stuck with me. A woman in the Oakville Mental Health day treatment program said, “The light isn’t at the end of the tunnel, it’s inside you.”

What community-led mental health initiatives have made a real difference in the Black community?

There’s still not enough being done, but I know of Black Mental Health Canada and Black Health Alliance. CAMH has also provided incredible resources and events—CAMH saved my life.

What community-led mental health initiatives have you seen make a real difference in the Black community, whether through advocacy, solutions, or representation?

There’s not enough being done currently to support the Black community but I do know of Black Mental Health Canada and Black Health Alliance. CAMH has had some incredible resources and events as well. CAMH saved my life.

What gives you hope for the future of Black mental health?

One day, I want to use my own resources to help my community alongside CAMH. During my time in jail, I met a man from a motorcycle club nicknamed “Bam.” He had a tattoo on his forearm that read “Unbreakable.” I intend to get the same tattoo.

If the hell I went through over the past five years didn’t break me—nothing ever wil

Jessica’s Story: Breaking the Silence Around Black Mental Health

What inspired you to get involved in mental health advocacy?

Mental health advocacy has always been a personal passion. I’ve seen close relatives struggle, and witnessing the impact on both the individual and those around them made me realize how urgent this issue is. People face mental health challenges every day, and they deserve access to support.

What’s one moment in your mental health journey that made you feel seen, supported, or empowered?

Growing up, I didn’t understand mental health. Especially in the Black community, I saw people—including myself—struggle but not seek help. Therapy wasn’t normalized. There was a silent disapproval surrounding the topic.

As an adult, learning about programs that aim to remove this stigma has been empowering. Prioritizing my mental health and starting therapy made a huge difference.

What community-led mental health initiatives have made a real difference in the Black community?

Initiatives like recovery programs, community-centered projects, social media awareness campaigns, and culturally specific support services are beginning to make an impact. My hope is that the next generation won’t struggle in silence.

What community-led mental health initiatives have you seen make a real difference in the Black community, whether through advocacy, solutions, or representation?

Initiatives such as recovery-oriented programs, community-centered projects, social media awareness campaigns and specialized support are beginning to make a difference in the Black community. To erase the stigma, it is essential for these programs to continue to spread awareness through seminars, panel discussions, fundraising, mentorship and also ensuring Black representation. My hope is that the next generation does not struggle in silence or resort to unproductive activities to cope. I hope they can see the adults around them prioritizing mental health, seeking help, and recovering.

What gives you hope for the future of Black mental health?

The increase in community-led initiatives, wellness podcasts, and access to online therapists gives me hope. More social media platforms are promoting mental health, and I can already see the impact on younger generations. This progress makes me proud.

Black Mental Health Support at CAMH

CAMH offers a range of services designed specifically to support Black communities in accessing culturally responsive mental health care. Programs like the Substance Use Service for Black Communities (SUS-BC) provide specialized care, while the CAMH Black Staff Network advocates for greater representation and inclusion within the mental health system.

By addressing stigma, increasing access to care, and fostering open conversations, initiatives like these play a crucial role in advancing Black mental health.

For more information on CAMH’s Black mental health resources, visit here.