#NNPA BlackPress

Mental illness, homelessness major issue in South Los Angeles

NNPA NEWSWIRE — In a study published earlier this year by the American Psychiatry Association, Millennials were found to be the most anxious generation. Women reported higher anxiety than men, and people of color scored 11 points higher on the anxiety scale than Whites.

Published

7 years ago

June 26, 2019

Oakland Post

Distinguishing myths from facts

By Lisa Fitch, Our Weekly News Contributor

During Mental Health Month (May) the 2019 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count results came in. While both subjects—mental health and homelessness—are becoming increasingly intertwined within the African-American community, the latter report is filled with “June gloom.”

“But not surprising,” said Dr. Erica Holmes, director of the Championship Counseling Center at Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood.

“There are a lot of reasons that cause individuals to lose their housing and the city, county and state haven’t done much to reduce those risk factors.”

According to the L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), this year’s point-in-time count put the number of homeless people countywide just shy of 59,000. That’s an increase of twelve-percent increase over last year’s count.

“A lot of people think the majority of the homeless population have some severe mental illness, but that’s not true,” said Holmes, a licensed psychologist. “Most of the homeless are women with children.”

According to LAHSA, 38 percent of the homeless are African-American and 30 percent of those counted are female. Twenty-seven percent of the 18-and-over homeless population reportedly have serious mental illnesses.

“Treating mental illness is kind of like with cancer – early detection is best,” Holmes said.

Driving through downtown’s Skid Row, one can see and feel the destitution. Hundreds and hundreds of people are in need of physical and mental services.

But somehow, Ericka Newsome, 39, found an oasis on Skid Row. The Downtown Women’s Shelter is helping her through mental health and housing services.

“I was in foster care a couple of times,” Newsome said. “I’m the second oldest of 12 children.”

Story of Ericka Newsome

After suffering beatings from an abusive mother, Newsome was determined to live on her own. She received prescription drugs for depression and attended Pasadena City College, close to where she was reared.

“The original plan was to transfer to a four-year music school,” Newsome said. “But I had to get a job right away.”

Newsome worked with temporary agencies and landed a job at a local bank. She was even a Rose Parade musician at one time.

“I was being a responsible citizen, paid my bills, following the rules,” Newsome added. “In 2009, a lot of people in the banking industry were cut back. There were no raises, but my rent went up.”

Newsome had to live in her car when she could not afford rent. To avoid parking tickets when she parked on the Pasadena streets, she slept in the bank’s parking structure. She became a member at a local gym, where she could take showers.

“One day after lunch I got a call to go to HR (Human Resources),” Newsome said. “’Hey, ‘you’re no longer part of this company’ they said. I remember walking out and I stood on the edge of the parking structure ready to jump.”

That’s when Newsome checked into the Huntington Hospital – Della Martin Center in Pasadena, where she received a psychological evaluation and hospitalization for depression and anxiety.

But after treatment, she was back sleeping in her car. When she had to sell her automobile to get some money, she was left to walk the streets. She found out about the Downtown Women’s Center while she was staying at a shelter in South Los Angeles.

Downtown Women’s Center

But then one day she was turned away because the shelter was filled to capacity.

“I was really scared and trying to find a place to keep safe,” Newsome said. “The shelter would bus us to this place downtown to shower, get food and clothes.”

Newsome tried to remember the bus route and walked the streets until she finally found the Downtown Women’s Center.

“In the shelter, you had to shower at night,” Newsome remembers. “But at the center you could shower in the morning. I really liked that.” She now attends their group sessions and receives assistance to live in an apartment.

The Downtown Women’s Center has operated for 41 years on Skid Row. They have 119 permanent, supported housing units downtown, as well as other housing units located throughout Los Angeles County.

Some renters pay 30 percent of their income for rent. But a job is not a prerequisite.

“Once a person gets housed, they make sure they are mentally stable there and we’re monitored,” Newsome said. “I don’t want a setback. I need to maintain.”

“I want to give back,” Newsome added, noting that she has joined the Downtown Women’s Center’s advisory board. “I want to pass the word. I was in the same situation. It’s possible.”

Newsome recognizes that there is a cloud surrounding the issue of mental health, especially in the Black community.

“There’s a stigma there,” Newsome said. “But you shouldn’t look down on me because I’m getting help. That doesn’t downgrade my value.”

The African-American community, in particular, has a fear of asking for mental health services, according to Dr. Holmes.

“Research shows that African-Americans tend go to ‘family first,’ then pastor or clergy, and then seek professional psychological services,” Holmes said. “By the time they come into counseling, dealing with psychological distress has become a way of life. Sometimes we have to unpack five, 10, 15 years of depression.”

A stigma in Black families

The center, which has more than a dozen clinicians on staff, conducts a standard intake, which includes a questionnaire asking potential clients about their current situation, why they want therapy, and their previous use of psychotropic medications. They provide services to children as young as four years of age and to seniors. Client fees
are based on their ability to pay.

Word is spreading through social media that mental health is an important part of overall health and is made up of our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It’s a part of life and nothing to be ashamed of.

Millenials embrace therapy

Although seeking out professional help has been a taboo subject for years, Millennials are more likely than previous generations to pursue therapy when they recognize the signs of stress, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders.

A 2015 study conducted by American University revealed that Millennials grew up hearing about mental illnesses—including eating disorders and suicidal tendencies—more than any other age group. This younger society is reportedly more accepting of mental health challenges and is also more likely to talk about mental health issues than their parents or grandparents.

In the American University survey of 900 Millennials, more than 70 percent said they would be comfortable visiting a counselor or therapist.

As more people speak out, the stigma surrounding mental illness is beginning to lessen. Celebrities are openly sharing their mental health struggles in social media, such as former Laker Metta World Peace, who regularly shared his challenges and experiences.

Stigma, distrust and socioeconomic reasons have historically all been factors in Black America’s shunning of professional mental health assistance. The need for these discussions has only increased.

In a study published earlier this year by the American Psychiatric Association, Millennials were found to be the most anxious generation. Women reported higher anxiety than men, and people of color scored 11 points higher on the anxiety scale than Whites.

Research suggests that African-Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience a mental health disorder as opposed to the general population, but many factors may inhibit proper treatment. Only 25 percent of Blacks seek professional help, compared to 40 percent of Whites with mental health disorders.

Daily stress can be an enemy of your mental health. It causes a chemical reaction that occurs when the body goes into “fight-or-flight” mode. Your heart rate increases and blood pressure rises.

Know the signs and potential triggers of mental illness and if you’re ever concerned about how you feel, consult a doctor:

Insomnia
Low energy
Negative outlook or thoughts
Pulling away from people or usual activities
Lack of affection
Mood disorder
Anxiety attacks
Poor judgment
Upset stomach
Racing thoughts
Chest pains

Mental health experts agree that when a person is experiencing excessive stress and it is interfering with daily activities, seeking help is key. In addition to discussing the situation with a professional, reach out to friends; look for local support; and find
therapeutic resources.

Some stress tools worth trying include, acupuncture; aromatherapy; art therapy; deep breathing; exercise; healthy eating; massage therapy; stretching; and yoga.

Your mental health affects your physical health. Don’t ignore the signs.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

NAACP: Keep speaking out against police misconduct

Don't Miss

Schools ‘criminalize’ Black girls, jeopardizing their future success

Oakland Post

1 Comment

#NNPA BlackPress

COMMENTARY: Jim Crow 2.0 at the Pentagon

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

Published

1 week ago

August 3, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Pete Hegseth insists that he is restoring “merit” to the United States military. But after months of dismissals, blocked promotions, and ideological purges, the evidence tells a different story. His campaign against so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” has become something far more dangerous: an assault on equal opportunity that falls with particular force on African Americans, while also targeting women, Latinos, gay Americans, and transgender service members.

The latest example is both troubling and infuriating.

Once again, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly blocked the promotion of an exceptionally qualified woman—Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt. Bauernschmidt is no ordinary officer. She became the Navy’s first woman to command a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, one of the most demanding leadership assignments in the world. Her career reflects decades of exemplary performance, operational excellence, and leadership under extraordinary pressure.

Yet once again, a distinguished military career appears to have been subordinated to an ideological agenda masquerading as “merit.”

I call BS!

The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

The pattern has become impossible to ignore.

General Charles Q. Brown Jr., only the second African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was dismissed despite a career that placed him among the most accomplished military leaders of his generation.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman ever to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, was removed despite decades of distinguished command experience.

Reports have documented interventions that blocked or delayed the promotions of Black officers and women selected through the military’s rigorous promotion system.

Now Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt joins the growing list of highly accomplished officers whose careers have been derailed for reasons that have never been persuasively explained.

Where is Congress?

Its silence has become deafening.

Congress has an independent constitutional responsibility to oversee the armed forces. Instead, too many lawmakers have watched silently while one of the nation’s most respected institutions is subjected to ideological litmus tests and political interference.

This is not military reform. It is testosterone-fueled performative masculinity disguised as a philosophy of military excellence.

The irony is impossible to miss. Hegseth repeatedly invokes “merit,” yet his rhetoric begins with the assumption that Black officers, women, and other historically excluded Americans must somehow justify their achievements in ways that white male officers are rarely required to do.

That is not meritocracy. It is prejudice wrapped in patriotic language.

No one is asking that anyone be promoted because of race or gender. Americans simply expect that promotions be based on demonstrated competence, leadership, integrity, and service. The officers being targeted have already proven themselves repeatedly under one of the world’s most demanding evaluation systems.

Their records speak for themselves.

The attack on African American military leadership has been especially pernicious.

For generations, Black Americans fought in segregated units, earned decorations while denied equal treatment, and repeatedly demonstrated loyalty to a nation that often failed to extend them full citizenship. They broke barriers not because standards were lowered but because excellence finally overcame institutional discrimination.

Today’s campaign against “diversity” threatens to revive old assumptions under new slogans.

The implication that Black generals and admirals somehow owe their success to affirmative action rather than extraordinary performance echoes some of the ugliest stereotypes of the Jim Crow era. Yesterday’s segregationists claimed Black Americans were inherently less qualified. Today’s culture warriors simply employ more politically acceptable language while inviting the same suspicion about Black achievement.

That is why Hegseth’s campaign increasingly resembles Jim Crow 2.0.

The targets may now wear stars on their shoulders instead of military patches on segregated uniforms, but the underlying message is hauntingly familiar: Black excellence is presumed suspect, while white excellence is presumed earned.

America’s military became the finest fighting force in history because it opened its doors to talent wherever it could be found. It grew stronger after President Truman desegregated the armed forces. It became stronger when women assumed greater command responsibilities. It became stronger when every qualified American was given the opportunity to serve to the fullest extent of their abilities.

Diversity is not a concession. It is a strategic advantage.

The nation’s adversaries do not fear an American military because it is racially homogeneous. They fear it because it draws upon the talents of more than 340 million Americans whose diverse experiences, perspectives, and abilities make our armed forces unmatched anywhere in the world.

Every politically motivated dismissal of a distinguished officer sends a chilling message throughout the ranks: excellence alone may no longer be enough if you belong to the wrong demographic group.

That weakens morale. It weakens recruitment. It weakens retention.

And ultimately, it weakens national security.

Pete Hegseth has every right to pursue military readiness. He has no right to redefine merit in ways that repeatedly cast suspicion upon the accomplishments of Black officers, women, and others who have devoted their lives to defending this nation.

America deserves better. The men and women who wear the uniform deserve better. The Constitution deserves better.

And unless Congress finds the courage to exercise meaningful oversight, history may well remember this period not as a restoration of military excellence, but as the moment political ideology attempted to resurrect, in modern form, the old poison of exclusion.

Jim Crow did not strengthen America. Jim Crow 2.0 will not strengthen America’s military. It will only diminish it

Wade Henderson
Strategic Advisor
Civil and Human Rights
wade@wadejhenderson.com

bpusa-syndication

Posts by bpusa-syndication

#NNPA BlackPress

New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial

By Emilie St. John (Contributor) Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction. Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District […]
The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

By Emilie St. John
(Contributor)

Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction.

Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District Judge John Roach Jr. from overseeing the appeals process.

Two hearings have been scheduled on the motion for Aug. 9 and 10 in the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas, according to Fox4 News.

On July 14, Senior Judge Sid L. Harle of the 226th District Court was assigned to preside over the defense’s motion to recuse Collin County Judge John Roach. The assignment took effect immediately and authorized Harle to handle all matters related to the recusal request, the filing read.

The Collin County District Attorney’s Office continues to defend its handling of the case by issuing a statement to NBC 5 DFW.

“The defendant’s new lawyers have filed a motion containing several inaccurate characterizations of the trial proceedings. The entire prosecution team and I conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the Court’s rulings and any agreements with defense counsel. We look forward to addressing these claims thoroughly in a Court of law in the coming weeks. The jury heard extensive evidence over the course of the trial and returned a unanimous verdict. We remain confident in that verdict and the fairness of the proceedings.”

Anthony’s new legal team, made up of appellate, civil rights, and criminal defense attorneys, was retained following Anthony’s conviction.

“Our responsibility is to determine whether a legal error occurred and to ensure that every issue supported by the record is fully and vigorously presented on appeal,” the team said in a statement.

“We recognize the profound loss suffered by one young man’s family and the uncertainty facing another, and we extend our respect to everyone whose lives have been forever changed by these events,” the release reads.

Anthony was charged with the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf during a track meet in Frisco, Texas, April 2, 2025. Anthony has long maintained it was an act of self-defense.

The attorneys are representing Anthony pro bono. The nearly 200-page notice of appeal seeks a new trial because his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial was violated.

“The cumulative and practical effect of these provisions was to exclude members of the public from proceedings at every stage,” the filing reads.

The filing also focused on an alleged “handshake deal” that kept Anthony from taking the stand in his defense.

The defense filing said the agreement was that the jury would not hear that Metcalf and his twin brother had been accused of racism and bullying in the past. In exchange, they also would not see Anthony’s cellphone records or his school disciplinary record, according to court documents reported by the Dallas Morning News.

Anthony’s former defense attorney, Mike Howard, said the defense relied heavily on that deal. The team chose not to ask certain questions of witnesses or call on a separate expert witness based on that agreement. It also abandoned plans to introduce testimony and evidence about the allegations against Metcalf and his brother.

Appellate attorney Russell Wilson is now handling post-trial proceedings and Anthony’s appeal. He recently sat down for an interview, stating, “The court committed multiple errors during the June murder trial, preventing him from receiving a fair trial.”

“You know, we file motions that we expect to prevail on, but we understand that there’s two sides to every story. And at the end of the day, it’ll be a judge that has to make these decisions, but we feel confident in the positions that we’re taking,” Wilson said during an interview with WFAA. “There were substantial issues that we thought a reviewing court needed to look at. We thought these were constitutional irregularities, and we could have them addressed now. And so, we put them into a motion for a new trial.”

Bree West, a former Dallas County Assistant District Attorney, found it startling that so little time was given to Anthony’s team for such a serious “life or death” situation.

“I do think that it’s really challenging that potentially a court decided that you have 10 minutes to make that level of decision when it has the potential of being life-altering,” said West during an interview with Fox 4 News.

Judge Harle is no stranger to high-profile cases, having presided over the prosecution of a police officer charged in connection with the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Anthony was convicted on June 9 of the murder of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump!

WESTSIDE GAZETTE — The author criticizes Donald Trump’s rhetoric, noting his use of terms like “Dumbocrats” and “Communist” to describe Democrats and democracy. The column asserts that Trump’s current strategy involves creating doubt about midterm elections due to a lack of Republican agenda.
The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

Frankly Speaking

Wow! Wow! Wow! The swamp drainers have truly stepped down to new levels of stupidity. You remember Weapons of Mass Destruction? We now have Weapons of Mass Distraction. Trump has introduced Dumbocrats and Communists into the conversation about Democrats and Democracy.

Trump lies so much, and his current strategy is to set up doubt about midterm elections because he and Republicans have no agenda!

He has no “Trump “ card, but Iran has a strait! He called it a skirmish; it’s now a War. He said five days; now it’s five months. He said few casualties; now it’s 18 deaths. He knew nothing about Project 2025 but hired its architects! Trump lies about the lies and often forgets these little inventions called cameras and phones

We see and hear and then see and hear the inconsistencies.

I didn’t like 45 and dislike 47 even more!

The post LSMFT! Lord Save Me From Trump! appeared first on The Westside Gazette.

Based on reporting by Westside Gazette.

The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.