Community

Taking The Stigma Out Of Mental Illness

FLORIDA COURIER — The facts are troubling. One in five adults are diagnosed with a mental health condition. That’s over 46 million people. Of the 46 million, more than half do not receive treatment. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.

Published

7 years ago

May 28, 2019

Oakland Post

By Jenise Griffin

The facts are troubling. One in five adults are diagnosed with a mental health condition. That’s over 46 million people. Of the 46 million, more than half do not receive treatment.

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.

Suicide is now the No. 10th leading cause of death in the United States. It’s also the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24.

“Mental health looks like me, mental health looks like you,’’ said Dr. Vashaun Wllliams, a Tampa Bay psychiatrist, who shared these statistics and how to identify mental illness at “A Dining Room of Hope’’ banquet presented by Aaron’s House. The organization is referred to as a safe haven for parents and caregivers of loved ones living with bipolar and depression.

The May 5 event, held annually during Mental Health Awareness Month at the Rusty Pelican restaurant in Tampa, is a fundraiser for the non-profit Aaron’s House, which provides temporary housing for family members who have a loved one diagnosed with a mental illness.

Psychiatrist: Seek help

Williams, one of the speakers at the fourth annual banquet, urged the nearly 200 attendees to be supportive of those dealing with a mental health condition, and to seek help immediately if a loved one is in a crisis situation.

“You want to seek help promptly. Treatment is available,’’ said Williams, a health provider with Gracepoint Wellness Mental Health Center and in his private practice, Reaching Maximum Potential.

That help is available for the patient as well as family members.

Helping hundreds

It’s a message that Tampa Attorney Pamela Robinson, founder and executive director, stresses through her work at Aaron’s House.

“We’re helping 12 to 15 families from funds raised during our events. This does not include the hundreds of people that call in throughout the year seeking advice and inquiring about various resources,” she told the Florida Courier.

Honoring son

Education about mental illness is one of the key components to Aaron’s House, she noted.

“We celebrate mental health awareness one month out of the year. But caregivers deal with these conditions on a daily basis. It is essential that caregivers and others understand the signs of mental illness faster, and are on top of the different types of illnesses so that they can work toward more efficient treatment protocols and be on top of the newest treatment trends and medications,’’ Robinson said.

Aaron’s House is named after Aaron Keith Robinson, who died on Aug. 4, 2014, from an accidental gunshot wound after what’s referred to as a psychotic episode. Thirteen years earlier, he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“A Dining Room of Hope’’ is presented by Aaron’s parents – mom Pamela, and his dad, Donald, co-chair of the event.

It is a way to honor their son and raise funds for families in need.

Each year, the Robinsons bring in someone to share statistics on mental health as well as a motivational speaker.

Encouraging caregivers

This year’s keynote speaker, Tony Gaskins Jr., a national motivational speaker and author, shared his experience of working at a group home years ago for people dealing with mental health issues.

Through his teary-eyed message, Gaskins shared words of encouragement to the banquet attendees.

“If you find yourself caring for someone, whether it’s your child, your mother or father, any family member, any friend, you may be chosen against your will. … You were chosen because you could be trusted… When you can find it in your heart to support those who are affected by it directly, to pay it forward, not only do you change your life but you change theirs,’’ he said.

Robinson said Gaskins reminded caregivers in the audience that their “jobs of caring for their loved ones is a sacred charge given to them by the Creator of the universe… Mr. Gaskins was able to use his background as an employee in a mental health facility to galvanize caregivers into action.’’

‘A hidden taboo’

She also mentioned how discussing mental health issues has been a taboo in the Black community and that must change.

“Because the proliferation of mental illness is exploding minute by minute and mental health has been a hidden taboo, we are bringing those issues out of the closet. As they come out, new tools for combating, coping and dealing with mental health conditions are emerging,” Robinson related.

“We are no longer in the closet. I’d like to see people with mental illness who cannot afford insurance in the African-American community get the same health care treatment as those who are more affluent.

“I’d like to see this community rally around our fellow men and women who are struggling, and, of course, I’d want to see mental health getting as much attention as physical health.”

A daily struggle

Although her son has been gone for five years, Robinson noted that she still struggles with his loss.

“It is a daily struggle; the pain does not abate. I still have his cell phone in my contacts. I think of him during my entire waking hours. He is never far from my thoughts, but it is rewarding to assist caregivers and others as they embark upon providing lifetime service to their loved ones,” she added.

For more information on Aaron’s House and its support group schedule, visit www.aaronshouse.org.

This article originally appeared in the Florida Courier.

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Community

Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

2 hours ago

August 15, 2026

bpusa-syndication

View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

4 hours ago

August 15, 2026

bpusa-syndication

George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.