Ourselves Black recently spoke with Liza Jessie Peterson about her new book, All Day: A Year of Love and Survival Teaching Incarcerated Kids at Rikers Island.

I have fallen prey to all these negative traps. And they are traps that not only keep you from maintaining wellness, but keep you dissatisfied and unhappy with your life.

Mental health seems to be a recent buzzword of sorts; for better and worse it’s been commonly thrust into the media spotlight.

True to their optimistic outlook, many seem to recognize the need for building and maintaining strong inner reserves to confront obstacles and be the change catalysts they envision themselves to be. Black Millennial women are spearheading mental health outreaches like Healing Melanin, Melanin Mental Health, Redefine Enough, and others, demonstrating the kind of awareness required to hang tough for the long haul.

Unlike with physical conditions such as diabetes or cancer, individuals with mental illness may view their disorders as a character flaw rather than a common treatable condition.

That can be extremely difficult because one thing we know is that people know how to act. They know how to save face. But what they do when they get back in their own space is different from what they say [in public]. One thing I tell people is ‘I know I can’t change your mind, and you’re welcome to think whatever you want to think but now let's challenge what you’re doing’.

On March 31, Netflix released its series adaptation of Jay Asher’s young adult novel, 13 Reasons Why. Like it or not, the topic of suicide is moving into the mainstream. And it’s about time.

Journaling is an effective form of self-care and treatment that offers many benefits and can be practiced by anyone.

With nearly 90 percent of Americans owning mobile phones the ‘tech age’ is not just upon us, it's all around us. We use our mobile devices to solve problems, broker social interactions and even as pillow companions before falling asleep.

If you’re Black and on social media, you have no doubt seen the tweets sounding the alarm about a recent cluster of black girls who have been reported missing from the D.C. area.

Every year the American Psychological Association (APA) releases its Stress in America™ report with results from an annual survey on how Americans experience and react to stress, including what participants identify as their most significant sources of stress.

Media focused on black mental health is exploding. Whether it’s social media, visual media, or the written word, discussions about and portrayals of what it looks like to be black and experience anxiety, depressed mood or depression, fear, or Bipolar disorder have been on the rise since late 2016.

Lezley wants justice for her son. With this book, she takes a step toward that goal. Maybe if people know more about his life the need for justice will become more clear.