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Breaking the Silence: Black Veterans Speak Out on PTSD and the Path to Recovery

THE AFRO — “From a clinical standpoint, one of the biggest hurdles for military personnel dealing with PTSD is the pervasive stigma around mental health,” said Dr. Diandra Poe, a mental health professional and veteran advocate. “Even today, mental health challenges are often seen as a sign of weakness in a culture that prioritizes constant performance and endurance.

Published

2 months ago

November 30, 2025

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By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com

For many military veterans, what they endure while serving their country is just half of the battle. The toll of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can appear in every part of life, including strained relationships, halted careers and a fading sense of identity.

For Black veterans, the impact can be even greater and more difficult to get help for due to cultural stigma, racial disparities in care and a shortage of personalized mental health support.

Dr. Diandra Poe is a dedicated mental health professional and veteran advocate committed to breaking stigma and improving access to care. Photo Credit: Courtesy photo

“From a clinical standpoint, one of the biggest hurdles for military personnel dealing with PTSD is the pervasive stigma around mental health,” said Dr. Diandra Poe, a mental health professional and veteran advocate. “Even today, mental health challenges are often seen as a sign of weakness in a culture that prioritizes constant performance and endurance. For many service members, the idea of seeking help is intertwined with fear that it could impact their careers or label them as incapable.”

Untreated mental health conditions such as PTSD can create a serious ripple effect on military individuals and their families.

“Unaddressed PTSD can spill over into home life—affecting relationships, the ability to keep a job and ultimately the family’s stability,” Poe said. “It becomes a cycle of trying to push through alone until it’s no longer possible.”

A national health study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) found that about 22 percent of Black veterans who were deployed had PTSD, compared to 14.1 percent of White veterans. Around 16 percent of Black veterans who were not deployed had PTSD, compared to 9.2 percent of their White counterparts.

“For Black service members, the military might have been a path out of challenging environments, and facing PTSD can feel like they’ve traded one set of struggles for another,” said Poe. “While they might technically have access to care through the VA or military services, actually utilizing that care can be a unique challenge due to cultural stigma and a lack of culturally competent support.”

James Harris, a U.S. Army veteran and community advocate, saw and lived these disparities, inspiring him to establish Men to Heal to help fill the gap.

“I emancipated myself at 16. Fast forward, I joined the Army for eight years, two deployments, one Iraq, one Afghanistan,” said Harris. “Going to therapy…there was a disconnect.”

James Harris is a U.S. Army veteran and founder of Men to Heal, a movement devoted to helping others overcome trauma through culturally informed mental health care and community support. Photo Credit: Courtesy photo

Harris said from his time in therapy as a child and a veteran, he did not feel like the therapists adequately understand what he went through and therefore could not truly help him.

“Since I had those experiences—in addition to the book knowledge, in addition to the case studies, in addition to the license—I thought I could provide greater assistance to veterans, as well as people who look like me, and who have traveled this road,” said Harris.

Through Men to Heal, a movement he started to offer counseling for veterans, youth, families, and couples, Harris does the work of giving back. Through the movement, Harris operates a wellness center in Richmond, Va., providing financial resources, outpatient therapy, and yoga.

Harris said veterans often come home feeling isolated and unable to be understood by the people in their lives.

“You feel like you’re the only person that’s been through it or don’t have anybody who can relate to your experience besides the people that you deployed with,” Harris said.

To better support veterans upon their return home, especially those diagnosed with PTSD, Harris said families and communities can best help by making sure to include them in various activities.

“Avoidance or isolation is no good, so we want to try to involve them as much as possible,” said Harris. “The family should also understand that veterans are oftentimes on alert or have heightened senses. They’re looking for threats; they want to position themselves so that they can see exits and take care of situations.”

Harris emphasized that having patience is key. Veterans can also benefit from widespread access to culturally informed care and a dismantling of stigmas both in the military and the community around mental health.

Veterans do have options for receiving care.

“If you would feel more comfortable with a provider of the same race, religion, or cultural background, share your preference with VA. When you start seeing a new provider, ask about their experience treating Veterans of color or Veterans with similar religious or cultural backgrounds,” say VA officials, in resources that speak directly to veterans on race, culture, and PTSD.

“Don’t hesitate to bring up issues related to race with your provider. Remember, your conversations with your provider are confidential. If it turns out your provider doesn’t have the experience to meet your needs, or you don’t feel it’s a supportive match, you can ask to switch to someone else.”

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LIVE from the NMA Convention Raheem DeVaughn Says The Time Is Now: Let’s End HIV in Our Communities #2

Set against the backdrop of the NMA conference, Executive Officers from the National Medical Association, Grammy Award Winning Artist and Advocate Raheem DeVaughn, and Gilead Sciences experts, are holding today an important conversation on HIV prevention and health equity. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event […]

Published

5 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event is designed to uplift voices, explore barriers to access, and increase awareness and key updates about PrEP, a proven prevention method that remains underutilized among Black women. This timely gathering will feature voices from across health, media, and advocacy as we break stigma and center equity in HIV prevention.

Additional stats and information to know:

● Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, with Black women representing more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2022, despite comprising just 13% of women in the U.S.

● Women made up only 8% of PrEP users despite representing 19% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

● Gilead Sciences is increasing awareness and addressing stigma by encouraging regular HIV testing and having judgment-free conversations with your healthcare provider about prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP options.

● PrEP is an HIV prevention medication that has been available since 2012.

● Only 1 in 3 people in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed a form of PrEP in 2022.

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TRUMP: “Washington, D.C. is Safe”

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Published

5 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

By Apriil Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

“Washington, D.C. is safe,” President Trump declared from the Oval Office today. Those words came while Trump was hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the question-and-answer session, which primarily focused on a peace deal in the Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump explained, “You did that in four days.” He was speaking of how fast the National Guard quelled the violence in what was once called Chocolate City.

The President deployed the National Guard to D.C. a week ago, to a city with reduced crime rates over the previous year. Violent crime dropped by 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Homicides also fell by 11%.

President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Trump reinforced his claim about the newly acquired safety in D.C. by relaying that a friend’s son is attending dinner in D.C., something he would not have done last year.

After the president finished his comments, a reporter/commentator in the room with close connections to Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped into the high-level conversation to affirm the president’s comments, saying, “I walked around yesterday with MTG. If you can walk around D.C. with MTG and not be attacked, this city is safe.”

That reporter was the same person who chastised President Zelenskyy months ago during his first Oval Office meeting with Trump for not wearing a business suit. Zelenskyy, a wartime President, has been clad in less formal attire to reflect the country’s current war stance against Russia.

Without any sourcing, President Trump also said, “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days have been busier than they’ve been in a long time.”

The increase in policing in Washington, D.C. is because a 19-year-old former Doge employee was carjacked in the early hours of the morning recently.

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Rising Energy Costs Weigh Heaviest on Black Households

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

Published

5 days ago

February 3, 2026

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

A new national study from Binghamton University and California State University, San Bernardino, finds that Black households spend a far larger share of their income on energy compared to white households, even when income levels are the same. “We often say that African Americans suffer more, but we often blame it just on income. And the reality is, there is something more there,” study author George Homsy, associate professor at Binghamton University, wrote. “It’s not just because they tend to be poor. There is something that’s putting them at a disadvantage. I think what happened is it happens to be where they live.” The study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyzed 65,000 census tracts across the United States. It found that while the average American household spends about 3.2% of income on energy bills, households in the majority African American census tracts spend an average of 5.1%.

Homsy and researcher Ki Eun Kang point to the age and condition of housing stock, along with lower homeownership rates, as key drivers. Their research concludes that “energy burden is not simply a matter of income or energy cost but also race, which might be driven by place.” Older, less energy-efficient housing and high rental rates in Black communities mean residents often cannot make upgrades like improved insulation or new appliances, locking families into higher bills.

Tradeoffs and Health Risks

The consequences go beyond money. Families forced to spend 10% or more of their income on energy — what experts classify as “unmanageable” — may cut back on food, medicine, or other essentials. More than 12 million U.S. households report leaving their homes at unsafe temperatures to reduce costs, while millions more fall behind on utility bills. The health effects are severe. High energy burdens increase risks of asthma, depression, poor sleep, pneumonia, and even premature death. The issue is especially acute for African Americans, who are disproportionately exposed to housing and environmental conditions that amplify these risks.

Washington, D.C.: A Case Study

In Washington, D.C., the problem is particularly stark. A recent analysis by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) shows that SNAP-eligible households spend more than 20% of their income on energy bills. Across the metro area, nearly two-thirds of low-income households devote over 6% of their income to energy, and 40% face what researchers call a “severe financial strain,” paying more than 10%. Pepco, the District’s primary electricity provider, has implemented three consecutive annual rate hikes, pushing the average household bill to $114 per month as of January 2025. Shutoffs have followed — nearly 12,000 customers lost service in 2024, with disconnections doubling after a summer rate hike. Washington Gas has also sought a 12% rate increase and pushed a controversial $215 million pipeline replacement project, rebranded as “District SAFE.” The plan could ultimately cost D.C. households an additional $45,000 each over several decades, or nearly $1,000 annually added to bills.

Historical Roots

Researchers argue that these inequities are not accidental but rooted in history. The ScienceDirect study reveals that African American communities living in formerly redlined neighborhoods continue to face disadvantages today — from poor housing quality to higher climate risks. Homsy says policymakers must make targeted efforts. “It is harder to get to rental units where a lot of poor people live,” he noted. “We need to work harder to get into these communities of color.”