July is Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, as designated by Congressional Resolution 134, through a 2008 bipartisan consensus vote that recognized Campbell for her commitment to promoting public awareness of mental illness. Bebe Moore Campbell, a nationally recognized author, historian, storyteller, and mental health advocate, is deserving of notoriety for her historical contributions as a leader who advanced equitable access to mental health treatment and services.

Current attempts by Congress and the mental health community to replace Campbell's name or omit her name with the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) designation are attempts to reformulate history. The advancement of S. Res. 657 leaves a deep wound and intentionally excludes Bebe Moore Campbell's name. The marginalization of Black women is an epidemic, an issue that has long been problematic, from Anarcha Wescott to Henrietta Lacks. 

We must honor the Mother of the Mental Health Movement that has centered on people of color. We are not nameless. It is our collective duty to honor Campbell’s legacy and Black history.

Last year, Say her name: Don’t erase Bebe Moore Campbell’s Name from National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month described how communities of color are grounded in a national mental health movement. This movement continues, as the denial of Bebe Moore Campbell is tantamount to the denial of racism itself. The fight to honor Bebe and her legacy continues. Join us!