17 shows that positively discuss mental health

Dear White People

Like the series discusses cultural bias, systemic racism, and activism in a myriad of ways, Dear White People also focuses on a myriad of mental health topics and how racism and racist hate crimes impact Black people.

While Dear White People Vol. 1 started to depict Reggie’s mental health after a campus cop pointed his gun at him, Vol. 2 focused on his PTSD from the altercation. Unarmed Black people are still discriminate victims of police-led murders. Although Reggie’s incident with the police at the party didn’t result in physical harm, it was still a visibly traumatic experience.

As he attempts to cope with his post-traumatic anxiety and stress in less than healthy ways, the series illustrates how even non-deadly confrontations with police have lasting effects. Whether it’s from recurring traumatic new headlines, which feature racist attacks and fatalities, to being targets of racist harassment or assault, Black people are statistically more likely to be impacted by mental health. As the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) notes, people of color are more susceptible to PTSD, anxiety, and depression because people of color are targets for racism.

Reggie’s narrative in Vol. 2 shows how traumatic events, such as being profiled or blatantly attacked by a police officer, can have serious mental health implications.