Pray and it will go away- Black Student Mental Health Matters
Mikai Mcdermott is a blogger, Youtuber and philanthropist. Through her Youtube videos, Mikai takes on taboo subjects regarding race, sexuality and femininity.
Credit: @mikaimikai
She has also launched her own charity CariConnect which aims to get more Caribbean students into Russel Group universities, and was recently named by Powerful Media as one of the Top 100 Black Students in the U.K.
Over the last year she has worked on and produced a documentary which highlights the stigmatisation of mental health in Afro-Carribean communities.
Pray and it will go away is a powerful documentary which tackles a very underreported topic, we got the chance to catch up with Mikai and asked her to write a piece detailing her experiences and what is was like to create a documentary, that is rarely covered.
This is what she had to say:
Credit: @Mikai Mcdermott
“Mental health is an illness of the devil, my dear, just say a simple prayer and it will soon go away”
As a black University student, this message is commonly heard amongst us, whether it be in English or in your mother tongue, it is not an unfair assertion to make that Black parents are not open to discussing the realities of Black mental health with their children. The creation of this documentary stemmed from just that.
How can we engage in critical conversations around the issue if we are afraid to confront ourselves and our parents about it?
When discussing black mental health, it is important to look at the sociological factors that differentiate our experience from that of a white person. Statistics show that black and minority ethnic groups living in UK are: More likely to be diagnosed with mental health problems More likely to be diagnosed and admitted to hospital More likely to experience a poor outcome from treatment
Credit: @mikaimikai
A combination of these factors is clear evidence that there is a distinct lack of discourse surrounding Black mental health. Though ‘Pray and It Will Go Away’ focuses on Black students at University, black familial dysfunction is also pivotal in explaining and delving into the causes and effects that racism has on the black psyche.
As a student that has suffered from mental health issues during my time at University, I felt it was important to give a platform to voices that are often dismissed based on “a lack of experience” or having the privilege that is access to further education.
Though our parents might disregard our experiences, University is a a microcosm of society; our experiences during these 3-4 years play a huge part in shaping our perspective of the working world. University adverts will always claim that these institutions are a space that students use to “grow up”, to learn about themselves and to hopefully emerge as citizens ready to contribute to society. However, amidst this idealistic description of these establishments, there is an astounding lack of attention paid to the darker side of University.
Credit: @Mikai Mcdermott
As students of colour, it is impossible to shy away from racial issues whilst studying away from home, being marginalized at predominantly white universities creates racial tension for students of colour that takes many different forms, including micro-aggressions and racial stereotyping, which are racial assaults on the character of students of colour. Plummeting ourselves into a surrounding where we must constantly validate our existence is a taxing time. When in isolation, as University often creates, the layered complexity of racism creates a defensive individual who must constantly deal with pressures from home, as well as ignorant comments that dismiss oppression and the existence of white privilege.
Black students in this context may demonstrate resilience and grit; it reinforces the long-standing stereotype of Black people being devoid of emotions and vulnerability. Although toughness is an admirable quality, it cannot be the rationale used to dismiss long-term mental health issues affecting black students.
Pray And It Will Go Away covers a multitude of issues that arise when we unpack mental health at university. The students I interviewed all shared the common fear of not being able to fit in and not being good enough.
Black students often face the bind of asserting themselves as a black person without being too loud, too bold, or “too black”.
These negative stereotypes often dampen the university experience for black students and create an unrealistic expectation of perfection to refute those stereotypes.
Pray And It Will Go Away highlights the danger of isolation when combined with racism and loneliness; we meet students who have considered leaving their degrees, or those who have considered suicide due to what seemed to be inescapable mental health issues.
Credit: @mikaimikai
A stark juxtaposition was also revealed throughout the filming process as most students prior to University claimed to be sure of their identity until they are catapulted into a strange environment.
These factors act as triggers for depression, anxiety and a wealth of other mental health disorders that stem from the overwhelming nature of further study combined with racism in institutions.
I hope that my short documentary can begin to open a forum for learning and engagement with black mental health issues and that it can be a stepping stone into breaking barriers between black parents and students as well as in interracial interactions.
Mikai McDermott
Pray And It Will Go Away can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/q5wkGqg4F7A
