Grand Strand Freedom Week event aims to break stigmas about mental health

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - As part of Grand Strand Freedom Week, leaders in the Myrtle Beach area opened up a forum this weekend to try and break stigmas about mental health.

The weeklong celebration of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is put on by the Carolina African American Heritage Foundation and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

MORE COVERAGE | Grand Strand Freedom Week kicks off with annual MLK Parade

A handful of people gathered at the Myrtle Beach Train Depot Saturday afternoon to listen to experts speak on how to improve their mental health and deal with different situations. Data from Mental Health America also shows minority groups are among the most impacted by struggles with mental health.

“The series of events is to put a stop to the stigma that you can’t talk about mental health,” said Davita Foushee, an organizer of the event. “You’ve got to keep it hush-hush. You shouldn’t talk about your issues. But we are talking about human beings and what human beings go through, so we are trying to make this conversation more casual and more comfortable by having these events.”

In an effort to bring more awareness to the community, Saturday’s forum created an open space for people to address the challenges they face every day.

“Speak about it, talk about it,” said Foushee. “That’s one of the reasons we have ‘let’s talk’ at the beginning of this forum. We have to speak about it, we have to talk about it and we have to get it out there to the community.”

Grand Strand Freedom Week continues with events through Tuesday.

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