Apart from African American celebrities and public figures who experience mental health distress or commit suicide in the public eye, mental health remains invisible from public discourse in the African American Community. According to the Minority Health Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, African Americans are 20% more likely to experience psychological distress than non-white Hispanics. While statistics prove that African Americans are experiencing distress at higher levels, the number of African Americans seeking help has remained low. The cultural implications of psychological trauma are far greater than the social norms at play. African Americans disproportionately experience poverty, crime, low socio-economic status,
…show more content…
In his Facebook post, Cudi repeatedly apologizes for letting his fans down and notes that he will be checking himself into rehab. Cudi’s apology to his fans comes with a large price of having to carry the world on his shoulders as a Black man in America. Blacks in America are expected to deal with trauma on their own, making seeking treatment even more difficult. George Washington writes in his piece, foretelling the future of America that Blacks do not feel pain, a narrative commonly presented throughout history. Michael Foucault perfectly explains this in Power/Knowledge when he discusses the power of a particular narrative when those at the top continuously reproduce certain knowledges. These knowledges are then upheld by various societies, othering those who do not fall within the accepted norm. Cudi repeatedly mentions how ashamed he is to be in this position, however the rapper has been public about his condition …show more content…
In his song, “Two Birds One Stone,” He writes: “You were the man on the moon, now you go through your phases; Life of the angry and famous; Rap like I know I’m the greatest and give you the tropical flavors; Still never been on hiatus.” Drake’s diss, characterizes drug addiction as a display of weakness when he says, “You stay xan and perked up so when reality set in you don’t gotta face it.” Within hip-hop there is a stigma surrounding black masculinity, that discourages that display of emotion and affection. Drake’s diss is a marker to discuss the larger issue surrounding mental health in the African American community. Drake’s attack on Cudi shows how the system is upheld within the Black Community through policing of the self and
In his Facebook post, Cudi repeatedly apologizes for letting his fans down and notes that he will be checking himself into rehab. Cudi’s apology to his fans comes with a large price of having to carry the world on his shoulders as a Black man in America. Blacks in America are expected to deal with trauma on their own, making seeking treatment even more difficult. George Washington writes in his piece, foretelling the future of America that Blacks do not feel pain, a narrative commonly presented throughout history. Michael Foucault perfectly explains this in Power/Knowledge when he discusses the power of a particular narrative when those at the top continuously reproduce certain knowledges. These knowledges are then upheld by various societies, othering those who do not fall within the accepted norm. Cudi repeatedly mentions how ashamed he is to be in this position, however the rapper has been public about his condition …show more content…
In his song, “Two Birds One Stone,” He writes: “You were the man on the moon, now you go through your phases; Life of the angry and famous; Rap like I know I’m the greatest and give you the tropical flavors; Still never been on hiatus.” Drake’s diss, characterizes drug addiction as a display of weakness when he says, “You stay xan and perked up so when reality set in you don’t gotta face it.” Within hip-hop there is a stigma surrounding black masculinity, that discourages that display of emotion and affection. Drake’s diss is a marker to discuss the larger issue surrounding mental health in the African American community. Drake’s attack on Cudi shows how the system is upheld within the Black Community through policing of the self and