AUSTIN, Texas — On Saturday, mental health advocates are holding a minority mental health awareness Rally at Huston-Tillotson University.
- July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
- Rally starts at 11 a.m. at Huston-Tillotson
The event is being put on by a nonprofit called the D. Wood Foundation, which advocates mental health education and awareness advocacy.
The organization successfully got Austin City Council to proclaim July as Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and this rally is part of that celebration.
For the founder of the two-year-old nonprofit, mental health awareness is an especially personal issue.
“You know, it’s still very painful," said Fabian Wood, founder of the D. Wood Foundation.
In 2010, 19-year-old Fabian Wood lost his mother to suicide. Two years ago, he created the foundation in her name, to raise awareness of suicide prevention, and advocate for mental health reform.
“I believe that mental wellness, mental health, mental illness is one thing that affects us all, right, no matter who you are, how old you are," said Wood.
According to the Center for Disease Control, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. for people of all ages. The American Psychological Association says suicide is most often a result of depression or mental illness.
The D. Wood Foundation provides resources Wood wishes his mother would've had access to.
“I realize that isolation is one of the first things that she dealt with," said Wood, "So [the foundation is] just trying to create a culture of support amongst individuals and minority communities as well as be a bridge that motivates, engages, and connects the people and then bridges them with the help that they need.”
The Foundation also trains people how to recognize the signs of depression or anxiety within themselves and others. Part of that training focuses on what Wood calls social depression.
“It’s created through generations of social forces, you know like racism, sexism, all those kinds of things," said Wood, "And it creates high levels of mental fatigue and makes people just want to go through the motions of living, or sometimes not want to actually do that.”
But the most important thing, Wood says, is that "Suicide is essentially 100 percent preventable. And it does start with a culture of support and people trying to engage one another," said Wood.
The rally is being held two days before the 9th anniversary of his mother’s suicide.
Wood hopes the rally will be a continuation of the foundation’s effort to celebrate and continue her legacy.
