Being sad doesn’t make you weak. It means you’re feeling something real. And in a world that tells us to hide our emotions or “be strong” all the time, feeling is powerful. It takes courage to feel your pain, name it, and deal with it.

We’ve been told that crying makes us soft. That asking for help means we’re not strong. That showing emotions makes us a problem. But that’s not true. Feeling is strength.

📊 According to the CDC, 1 in 5 children in the U.S. has a diagnosed mental health condition like anxiety, depression, or ADHD. But nearly 60% of kids with major depression don’t get the help they need. A lot of that has to do with racism, poverty, and lack of access to care in our communities.

Black and Indigenous youth are more likely to be punished than supported when they’re struggling. Latinx youth often face language barriers and immigration-related stress that stops them from getting help. And way too often, kids who act out are seen as “bad” instead of as kids in pain.

These are not random problems—they’re the result of unfair systems. Systems that don’t see our kids as worthy of support. Systems that confuse trauma with trouble.

💡 And it’s not just youth. Adults are going through it too. Over 59 million adults in the U.S. live with a mental illness every year. That’s more than 1 in 5 people. While more adults are starting to get therapy or take medication, up from 19% in 2019 to almost 24% in 2023, Black and Brown adults still struggle to get the care they need.

• Black adults are 20% more likely to deal with serious emotional distress but less likely to get treatment.

• Indigenous communities have some of the highest suicide and trauma rates.

• Latinx adults are often left out because of language, stigma, or lack of health insurance.

We carry a lot. Generational trauma. Racism. Grief. Financial pressure. Family roles. And yet, we’re still told to keep it together like it’s no big deal.

But holding it all in doesn’t make it better—it makes it heavier.

🛑 So let’s stop pretending. Let’s talk about it.

Let’s be clear:

• Crying ≠ weakness

• Struggling ≠ failure

• Asking for help ≠ shame

• Being soft ≠ fragile

• Feeling deeply ≠ unstable

It’s time to change how we talk about mental health in our communities. True strength is showing up—even when it’s hard.

Strength is:

• The dad who goes to therapy so he can be better for his kids.

• The teen who writes their feelings down instead of fighting.

• The grandma who says “I’m tired and I need a break.”

• The homie who takes their meds and reminds you to take yours.

• The auntie who starts therapy at 63.

That’s not weak. That’s healing. That’s legacy.

💚 Mental health is community health.

We don’t have to heal by ourselves. We can support each other. We can build safe places that understand us, see us, and uplift us. Healing isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being real.