Episode 7: Black mental health narratives with Abraham Sisay
Listen to the episode here:
Abraham’s docu-series: Freedom Project
Resources about Black representation in media:
Don’t We Hurt Like You? Examining the Lack of Portrayals of African American Women and Mental Health
Opportunity for Black Men and Boys: Public Opinion, Public Opinions, and Public Consumption
Media Representation and the Impact on the Lives of Black Men and Boys
Are Black Women Being Let Down by TVs Mental Health Storylines?
Mental Health is Improving on Screen, but Where are Black Women?
Resources about Black mental health:
Resources about mental health narrative change:
Read the transcript here:
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:00:00] This May, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, The Other Story is releasing a series of episodes examining the dominant narratives around mental health and in partnership with MTV and a coalition of organizations from around the country. The Other Story is supporting the first ever Mental Health Action Day on May 20th by sharing resources on actions you can take to care for your mental health and support others in their mental health journey. Head over to our substack at theotherstory.substack.com to find all the resources there.
Abraham Sisay: [00:00:37] To me, everything that I've learned about America was not real until when I came here and and, you know, I started following people like Spike Lee and then learning from them and just realizing how much damage Hollywood, you know, added into the Black community when it comes to mental health in general and in just just a lack of understanding of trauma. But they're making it look funny or, you know, portraying the Black people as loud. You know, they die too easily. It's like, you know, just like literally every movie that I've watched, every horror movie that I've watched, I just know that the Black guy is going to die first.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:01:21] You're listening to The Other Story, a podcast about the stories we live by. Each episode, we will examine a dominant narrative in our society and ask how it came to be, how it might be changed, and how Hollywood has played a role in reinforcing or deconstructing it. I'm your host, Jennifer Gottesfeld.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:01:44] We're going to be talking with Abraham Sisay about the portrayal of Black mental health in the media. Abraham is the founder and lead strategist of Alkamba Company, a modern day content distribution agency based in Kansas City. He started his company to help create a bridge between cultures through storytelling. Abraham is also the creator and executive producer of Freedom Project, a documentary series that takes viewers inside the journey of individuals as they cope with mental illness. Abraham, it's really wonderful to be talking with you today. Thank you so much for being here with me.
Abraham Sisay: [00:02:22] Yeah. Thank you so much. And before we get into I just want to say again, thank you so much for even making this and, you know, giving us an opportunity to, like, talk about such an important topic, you know. So thank you.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:02:36] Thank you. It is such an important topic. It's also, as I was preparing, just thinking about the complexity. And so I have a feeling we're going to probably go in a lot of different directions, even with this first question, which is, you know, starting from the storytelling, what are some of the current narratives about the experience of Black people's mental health? And I think that's that question is both about the collective mental health as well as individual mental health.
Abraham Sisay: [00:03:09] Yeah, for sure. So I feel like to like better answer the question, I'll have to use my own experience because, um, especially when it comes to, you know, like the narrative that goes around the Black community, you know, it comes into fall even within the Black community. You know, you have, um, like even me, my family members, they're not for mental health. You know, they just see it as like a weakness literally meant that whenever, you know, the conversation comes up, because now that I'm going really deep into this topic and actually investing into it, he he just sees it as something that I just need to get over or, you know, something that is not needed to to even talk about because it's just, you know, he's telling me you were putting your problem out there for people to know, you know, you should not do that. Hopefully he doesn't hear this. Then we're going to have a very interesting conversation. But it's like, you know, within the Black community, you know, we are dealing with these narratives. And then on the outside, it's like people just like have this, you know, misconception that whenever a Black person shows any form of mental stress or like mental hurdles is like automatically, oh, be careful, you know, you know, he may be violent. You know, he you know, it's like a mixture of violence, fear and a lack of understanding the trauma that the Black community went through. So, yeah, again, like a mixture of a lot of factors when it comes to the outside. But internally within the Black community, just the fear of talking about it and looking foolish and stupid at the same time. So, yeah, yeah.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:04:58] Thank you for sharing that. Starting off with such a personal story. I'm wondering if you have a sense of where, where that originates from, why those narratives exist.
Abraham Sisay: [00:05:10] So we can't really talk about Black mental health without talking about the s word. Slavery is like, you know, in my experience, I like found whenever I talk about slavery, people just like, oh, my God, here we go again, Abraham. And in slavery conversation. But it's like we cannot because all especially internally, all of these issues, you know, came from slavery. You know, the fear. You know, losing your right as a human being and then, you know, is I get emotional and talking about it, cause me coming from West Africa, these were things that I was not aware of until I moved to America 10 years ago. And me being a Black man from Africa, I could not even relate to African-Americans. And that blew my mind. But then back then, I had a stigma towards even African-Americans because almost like because that's what I was starting back in Africa, they're like, oh, yeah, you know, they're saggy pants, they're violent, blah, blah, blah. So it's like I could not relate to people that look just like me because of the trauma that they experience that people don't take time to understand, you know, the the generation of, like, you know, hurt, you know, the generation of, you know, not having a male figure, which is something that I grew up with. You know, I have so many male figures in my family that I don't even like them sometimes.
Abraham Sisay: [00:06:33] So, you know, which is something that now in America I'm super grateful for. You know, I have friends who don't know their dad. They don't know they're green. You know, the great grandparents, they have no connection to their past. And and they have to grow up with we're taking care of a family. And then that also comes with a lot of race at a very young age, trying to take care of your mom, your sisters, your younger brothers, and having to join gangs and just to feed your family. So this are, you know, where all of this came from. And up until today, it's still happening. But people don't take time to go back and figure out, OK, why is this Black person or this Black man or woman acting this way? And where did it come from? But just a lack of understanding and just the space to give the Black man to just show like emotions like every you know, every other person does. You know, we don't have that. I mean, when a Black person shows like irritability, it's just, oh, my God, he's violent. But when a white person does that of depression, you know, let's let's figure out what happened. So that's what I mean, that's where this comes from. You know, just all of these narratives about Black mental health.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:07:44] Yeah. I thank you for sharing that. I think there's in in the portrayal of narratives, it feels like there's like you mentioned at the beginning, there's the narratives that create stigma when we talk about mental health. But then there's this absence of discussion or portrayal of intergenerational racial trauma. What role has Hollywood played in creating and perpetuating and reinforcing these narratives? And any if you have any examples that you can think of movies or TV shows?
Abraham Sisay: [00:08:18] I have a few, actually. Yeah. So, um, since when I was a kid, I've always loved, like, watching movies. And me and my dad, you know, we we we just love like watching movies together. And to me, everything that I've learned about America was not real until when I came here. And and, you know, I started following people like Spike Lee and then learning from them and just realizing how much damage Hollywood, you know, added into the Black community when it comes to mental, you know, mental health in general. And and just just the lack of understanding of trauma. But they're making it look funny or, you know, portraying the Black people as loud. You know, they die too easily. It's like, you know, just like literally every movie that I've watched, every horror movie that I've watched, I just know that the Black guy is going to die first. And, you know, that does something to a a kid who is aspiring to be a filmmaker and wanting to penetrate that industry and and actually do films. And, you know, occurs to me I am aware of storytelling and how powerful it is and how it can influence the culture. You can influence people. You know, it can change ideas. You know, it's a very form of communication.
Abraham Sisay: [00:09:39] And unfortunately, you know, the Black community don't have a lot of access to telling those stories because no one is very expensive. And me getting into film now, when I say now, about five years now, it's it's it's you know, the fact that my background is in advertising. You know, I've done I've worked with really big brands and, you know, in my past. And that was a struggle of its own just to become, you know, and establish, you know, media agency owner in Kansas City, the Midwest, and having to work with brands. Literally, I had to change the way that I dress. You know, I had to wear a hat like I wear fedoras. If you can see my can't you see a fedora up there? I wear fedoras because one day, you know, I was passing by a very beautiful building. I saw this Black guy who was having a meeting with a bunch of people and he was the only Black person there. But everyone was listening to him. He had a really dope. Add on and and would like a feather on it, and almost like that's how I need to look like, because I was sick and tired of going to buildings and people telling me, what are you doing here, boy? Like, you know you know, you're not supposed to be late.
Abraham Sisay: [00:10:49] I've I've literally been asked to leave a very corporate, you know, big corporate building where I had a meeting. But the security would not let me in because they think I wasn't invited. So me making the switch, you know, literally going against everything that I love doing and dressing up to be something else just so that I can break that barrier. You know, from there, the conversation shift from, you know, you're not supposed to be. Hey, I love that. Had my grandpappy used to wear that and I was like, oh, wow, that actually works out, especially, you know, the people on top, like the EPs, you know, the people that actually have the money. They have this fear subconsciously to give a Black man money. And you have to be well known. You have to be up there. And, you know, I have to go out of my way to dress up a certain way just to show that, hey, I know what I'm talking about. Just I know what I'm doing. And that and that alone comes with its own mental challenges being in that industry. So, yeah, very stressful.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:11:50] Yeah. Oh, I truly thank you for sharing your story. I think there are probably people who are listening who can relate and have finally have someone who is who is sharing. Yeah. Sharing something that they can relate to. So I appreciate that. I would love to talk about the work that you're doing since it seems you're on the side of deconstructing these narratives. And so what is what is deconstructing the narratives look like to you and in the work that you do?
Abraham Sisay: [00:12:30] I'm trying to do something very different. OK, so that's why it's so expensive. I'm trying to do a documentary six episode and the first season, each episode is going to have a short film attached to it. And then there's also a global project where we're doing different series of interviews from different parts of the world. Currently we have India, we have Africa because, you know, I'm connected to Africa. So that was easy. And then, you know, I'm talking to some people in Australia. I'm talking to some people in Asia society's different levels of communication, which mean different invoices. So so it's like, you know, I'm doing all those series just to communicate that pain is one thing that we have in common, but we don't talk about it. So having a just having people from different backgrounds so far, they're literally all saying the same stories. So it's like having that that big of a project where you were doing so many, you know, documentary series, interview series, a bunch of, you know, short films attached to it that are social issues. But painting mental health as the core problem of it would somehow, you know, you know, cause an impact to where people are going to understand what. Oh, wow. So mental health is the actual problem of, you know, this world in general, because everyone that's making the decisions I have heard or, you know, they're dealing with something that no one is taxing them.
Abraham Sisay: [00:13:54] Like how how's your spirit? How are you doing? Like, what did you eat today? How did that impact you guys? Just eating sometimes will, you know, can bring some emotion, at least for me. Sometimes I'll be eating some foods and I'm like, oh, wow. This like took me back into this. And they was like turning to different emotions. And we just go through that that scenario through a day. So those are questions that I am trying to, you know, figure out and access people like unselfishly and just want to know what happened to you and, you know, which. Yeah, it's it's it's a lot of work, but very worth it. Super challenging. And and I'm so honored that I have this within myself to like, accomplish it. And, you know, I have the right team as well. So I definitely make it easy as someone who kind of started in the, you know, agency space doing software and all. I've always been the one Black guy in the room and and I've always been the one Black guy who's always like that. You know, that data doesn't add up. I feel like, you know, someone who looks like me cannot even relate to this. And you were trying to reach those people.
Abraham Sisay: [00:15:01] And I'm always that one person that that is like, you know, you know, this doesn't add up. Can we do this? Can we do that? And to me, that is so valuable that but at the same time, the industry, especially the film industry, there's a lack of, you know, a very diverse group of writers when you were trying to talk to America and then, you know, it always ends up being, you know, the wrong stories being told. And, you know, people feel like they're not represented in, you know, stories are not reaching the people that even the brands are intending to reach do because of this. You know, there's like biases that people have when it comes to hiring someone different, especially when it comes to writing rooms are also not very diverse, which means being like in the advertising space. Apple was noticing, like whenever we're coming up with scripts, you know, so it's like I genuinely believe having more diverse people in in whatever room it is, it's always going to yield into a very positive growth. You know, it's going to bring, you know, more awareness to whatever it is, you know, brands are trying to do or, you know, epso trying to, um, um, like trying to accomplish diversity is the answer to, you know, all these racial biases, period.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:16:18] Yeah. Yeah. Of of course. I mean it it's so simple and yet seems to be one of the hardest things,
Abraham Sisay: [00:16:24] Very simple and is that, you know, subconscious biases that people have towards other people. But the thing is, they think it's you know, they OK and you know, a lot of people aren't aware of it. And like, I'm not even making this up like I've talked to people. Um, OK. So I've dated a girl who took me to their house to meet their family, and they played Gone with the Wind. And but they were so happy that they were playing. Not that they are bad people, but, you know, they just don't know that that was just romanticizing slavery. And to me, I was so hurt and but but then, you know, I love them and I just kind of sat down there and just acted like, oh, that's cool. But but deep down, I always thought, oh, my God, it's like this. People are walking away with weird thinking that slavery was OK, you know, like all these horrible things that was done to the Black community, which is still happening, but in a very modern way. And, you know, and but they think it's OK. So these are things that still happen. And unfortunately, the you know, the unconscious biases that people have, you know, to them, it's it's still being okayed by the media or storytellers from different backgrounds that are still telling all these false narratives about what happened to different people. Because the writers are not diverse. They you know, they just writing what they know. So sometimes it's not even that these people aren't bad people. They just don't know enough. You know, they're not dipped into different cultures to be able to tell those stories. You know, they're just just guys and girls. We just want to tell their own stories, but is not their story to tell. So, you know, just having different people. So. Yeah. So, yeah, I hate that movie Gone With the Wind. Yeah.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:18:20] So, yeah, I think it finally got its cultural do in the past few years with people finally saying exactly what you said, that yeah. That actually it's incredibly problematic and we should stop idolizing. It is a great movie. After a quick break, we'll look to the future and see how these narratives are changing. So we've talked a lot about the narratives that are either mischaracterizing or just absent. I'm curious, what are what are the new narratives that you and other folks who are working in this narrative change movement are trying to introduce? What do you want to see on the screen is actually being portrayed in an accurate way?
Abraham Sisay: [00:19:13] Yeah, yeah. I mean, when it comes to the new narratives, um, unfortunately, you know, we had to take for George Floyds that to like trigger a lot of good things to happen, which was unfortunate anyway, and that he has to take that in 2020 for a lot of people to to like, you know, actually snap out of that comfort of thinking that, you know, this country is for all people and seeing that, you know, our political representatives are on TV saying the weirdest things ever. And, you know, that's that's why there's so much conflict of, you know, like what is happening, you know, where are people talking the way they're talking, seeing what just happened. So I'm very happy when I said very happy, just somewhat happy. You know, this question, they're happy somewhere. Somewhat. I'm somewhat happy that I'm seeing people kind of coming out and wanting to tell those stories that, you know, even yesterday I just thought of Oprah and Prince Harry just came up with a version of what I'm doing, actually. So that was super cool to like see that, you know, there was a huge confirmation to see that people at that level not tapping into that and wanting to tell those stories like real stories. And, you know, so I'm and I also see a lot of other filmmakers that are wanting to tell not just Black stories, but just real stories around different groups of people that are like affected by, you know, what these American freedom is all about.
Abraham Sisay: [00:20:48] Which which I like to say it's a toxic version of what freedom really is, usually puts me in trouble. But it is true. I mean, this country. Yeah, it's great. Is awesome. You know, it has a lot of good things. But but the thing is, you know, a lot of bad things happened that was never reconciled. And a lot of people were just like, hey, don't worry about it, just move on. This is you know, we don't talk about it. And that's where the problem is. You know, we need that reconciliation, true story happening. We need to have we need to give people the access to when I say we I'm not talking about me because I care, because I'm one of the storytellers that is trying to get to that level of just telling those stories without someone telling me, hey, take out of that episode. It isn't it doesn't work with my brand or oh, you can't say that because my brand may be affected. Pisses me off. But people are afraid of giving people money that are divers that are from different backgrounds because of their their beliefs that they're not even aware of. So, yeah, I mean, I can go on and on and on and talk about why this is a problem. But yeah, those are the reasons why I believe, you know, it is a huge problem.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:21:55] You know, I yeah. Diversity in writers rooms has it's it's still shocking how wide it is and how male it is. Oh yes. I, I, I am. You know, you brought up the example of the the Prince Harry documentary. I'm curious what what you're seeing out there in entertainment that you feel like is going right, that you say, oh yeah, they're there on the right path, or folks that you're excited about the work that they're doing in changing these narratives for sure.
Abraham Sisay: [00:22:36] Um, um, when it comes to big media, one of the platforms that I, I would give an OK is Netflix. You know, I'm seeing them giving a lot of people from different backgrounds an opportunity to, like, tell stories. And even though, you know, I haven't, like, worked with them yet, I'm hoping one day I won't because because I love the things that I'm coming from from Netflix. And what people aren't talking about them. You know, I hear a lot of good things. But, you know, at the same time, I'm I'm someone who likes to experience people. But, you know, but so far, I'm hearing I'm hearing a lot of good things and seeing whenever I'm watching their shows, I can tell just just like the, uh, I can't remember the name of the show that I just watch. Oh, my God. But it was such a good show. But I felt like, you know, they were speaking to me, you know, the directors, you know the writers. And, you know, the way they cast pretty much all the episode, it was like America. But back in the day, back when slavery was around, you know, you know, you still you see strong Black people's, you know, strong, you know, um, Asian people like people from different backgrounds. Not. Just playing that stereotype of, oh, yeah, an Asian person has to play this, a Black person has to play this and eventually dies, but it was like very it was so true to what America really stands for and the world itself, because the world is very diverse and, you know, so I'll give Netflix an OK from now until when I work with them, then I'll decide whether they're phenomenal or not.
Abraham Sisay: [00:24:09] But, yeah, you know, that's an example. But since I don't have a lot of connection at that level, I can't really say. But on a very micro level, you know, I'm definitely seeing a lot of filmmakers that are just doing it, you know, literally telling stories on their own, because now technology has made it that easy for us to tell stories. It's just that taking it at a level without all the financial jargon and distribution companies trying to cut your head off and keep your entire creation to himself is like that's where the problem is. So that I feel like some change may happen in the future with the Tock world coming in. You know, if they don't figure out what to do, you know, those kids, you know, because my generation, we're like the older millennials. We're just aware of all the problems. We'll just write a drink about it and not talk about it. But but then we are watching the Gen Y and GenZE and the boomers just go at it. So so I'm very confident.
Abraham Sisay: [00:25:12] And that's so sad to say. I'm very confident at Gen Z because the millennials, like we tried and will I mean, you know, we're we're tapped out. We had hired so GenZE the thing. So they're telling authentic stories. They're actually curious about what happened in the past and they're demanding for Congress to pass bills that that is going to OK, you know, real authentic education to happen at their schools. So that's a great thing. And they're brave enough to argue with their parents like millennials. We don't possess that ability. Do like I gave it up. This is like I am so talkative. But whenever I'm with my dad, I'm just like, yes, sir. I don't think so. Watching those kids, I'm very confident that they're going to do something. You know, they're going to change the industry. But as millennials are going to, you know, just like how we did with the Internet, we created the Internet. Now they owned it. So we're going to create the industry like a part way, at least for them to come in and and, like, deconstruct and change the whole business side of filmmaking, because the business side is very important and usually is dominated by male white men that cannot relate to the stories that they're trying to buy. It's usually, oh, is it trending? Is it like is this something that people are wrapping up? I'm like, dude, calm down.
Abraham Sisay: [00:26:35] Like, this is about people's lives, but people can relate to that because they've never lived that. So that's why the business side also, even right now with the program that I'm doing, I'm investing a lot into education, too, like I started from the ground up from the kids, literally. My entire documentary is Address the Sorry, addressing how kids are being affected by, you know, domestic violence, you know, sexual abuse, you know, sports and mental health, like all these different categories that are considered as a social issue. And we are all aware of I'm trying to use those social issues and turn it into an episode where we are going to talk about the issues. But the goal is to circle down to mental health, how mental health is the core of the problems and that we we we witness every day because pain is one thing that we have in common, but we don't talk about it, which is the social issues, which are very painful. And that's why there's so much hurt and hurt people, hurt people and you know, which which it's so simple to talk about, but it's like doing it. That's where the problem is. The the problem is so simple. But people's biases are so deep into who they are, especially the ones that are making decisions.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:27:52] So we're just talking about some of the things that you see for the future that you're excited about. And I'm I'm wondering what what are you concerned about or what are some of the things that, like looking to the future, you see is red flags that we should be watching out for?
Abraham Sisay: [00:28:11] I mean, when it comes to red flags, I've actually experienced some, which is sometimes when someone who is interested in putting money tells me, hey, take out of this story, someone literally told me to take out of child abuse. Sorry, which episode was it has something to do. Something to do with sexual trauma. He's like take out of take that out of it because it is I'm psycho. Like these are stories that needs to be told because there isn't a lot of people that are talking about this and it's an issue and usually both. Aspects of the spectrum are experiencing a form of mental illness. You know, the person who's making committing the sin is is probably have some very messed up past. And now you are putting all their baggage into the person and that person grows up with that baggage. It's like hurt people, hurt people again. And, you know, these are things that happens where filmmakers are getting their ideas changed. And because the person who's putting into money genuinely believes that, you know, that has to go on and sometimes doesn't mean that they're bad people again, it's just that's that's that's what they experience it. So it's like letting the filmmakers or the storytellers, the writers tell their stories authentically and just assist them. But but but not doing that, but instead trying to change it because you think those stories are very harsh or, you know, so to me, that's a huge red flag.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:29:44] I'm wondering, as we come to a close, if there's anything the individuals listening to this podcast right now can do to work on ourselves, the work we do in society, to notice the narratives, these dominant narratives that are that are often inaccurate and how to work on deconstructing them within ourselves and within society.
Abraham Sisay: [00:30:10] Yeah. Um, so I have I have this little statement that I just because, you know, on Instagram now, I would literally get people send me questions because I post about, you know, what exactly is anxiety, because, you know, these are questions that I did not know, like what the heck is depression? What does it look like? So I would like make post and I get people send me questions and I always have to be like, I am not a terrorist. Everything that I say here, like in a very I space. Well, but but then, you know, I like, communicate with them and now have a network of like TerraPass that I just like refer them to now. But one thing that people always share to me in my head is like people are always defining themselves as the problem, literally. It's so common in the questions that I get. You know, I am depressed, you know. You know, I am anxious. Oh, my God. It's like all these things, they're just saying it's part of their identity. So it's like working on yourself. You know, the I don't want to say the easiest way because it's not I'm still working on myself. I just had like three cups of coffee. I'm not sure which is like, you know, I'm still working on limiting that. And, you know, I still have, like, panic attacks, but now I just know how to cope with it. But because I understand that, you know, I am not my anxiety, you know, I am not my depression, you know, is not who I am.
Abraham Sisay: [00:31:36] You know, it is not you know, it doesn't define me. I understand that. You know, all of that is my hair. You know, it's in my head because I took time to work on myself. But a lot of people have that barrier to even go and work on themselves. So but but just identifying that if you speak to yourself unkindly and noticed that you were calling yourself the illness and that's when you you know, you should realize that, OK, maybe I should go seek help, you know, because that's when the problem actually is coming out, because with me, I had a really bad stutter and it was it was in there for a very long time. And I define myself because of my past drama and all the crazy things that I went through. And I just, you know, made it part of my identity. And that's, you know, Stuto was a form of like, you know, rebel, kind of like a rebellious act that was happening within my body. It's like you need to talk about it is you never going to talk again. And then but then I was like, no, this is very shameful. I don't want to talk about getting molested. Like, that's weird. Like, you know, who do you go talk to you about that? And I didn't know that that was people that that's my job is to listen to you and, you know, so it's like, yeah. So I feel like I'm going again around in circles because again, I have a lot to say. So I'm just going to Pozieres.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:32:59] Yeah. No, I appreciate that. Like the first work is identifying within yourself what's going on and being able to name that and sit with it and, and know how to ask for help and support. Yeah. So I know you have a lot to say. I as we close, is there anything that you'd like to share that we didn't get to talk about that you feel like on this podcast about narrative change, about the way the Black people's mental health is portrayed in entertainment? Yeah.
Abraham Sisay: [00:33:28] Yeah. So, yeah. So, you know, that's just like false false narrative that, you know, Black people like just, you know, inherently strong because of all, you know, the past traumas that we've just had. No. One, slavery being the biggest, which, you know, everything that comes with that, you know, we've. Just like progress, you know, we definitely went through a lot to be, you know, the group that we are, the group of people that we are today. So, you know, I I found this like a table of facts that was on the census graph. I can send you the link. I can't remember what pages, but I can Google and find. But it has a very nice perspective to, like, understand that, you know, to help people understand how important it is to talk about Black mental health. But it goes like I believe it's a thirteen point four percent of people in the US identify with as being a Black person. And you know, of those, I think about over 16 percent, you know, like calling and reporting that they have a mental illness and, you know, that's over seven million people. And to put that even into perspective, that, you know, it's it's like more people than the population of, I believe, say, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia combined. So that's how much in Black people, you know, we're not a lot in America. So that's a huge number of people that are experiencing a form of mental illness. But the thing is, people aren't listening to them or, you know, giving them the space to, like, talk about, you know, how irritable they are and and not call it that, you know, not not be fearful of them.
Abraham Sisay: [00:35:13] I've actually had, you know, a an argument with one of the brands that I work with, the internal team. And that argument turns into them not not responding back to me. And I was very confused. I'm like, OK, I'm you know, we had an argument like this was about business is not about us as a person. And, you know, it took like two weeks. And I and I ended up like reaching out. And this guy just said he was you know, he was afraid of saying the wrong things and he's afraid of me because I was very loud, almost like Brax, like and I was like, you get that. We were talking about a business disagreement. Right. That has nothing to do with you. I'm like, do you know the definition of fear? Do you feel like I'm going to harm you? And he said, Oh, no, no, no. I mean, I don't I don't feel like you are going to harm me. I just, you know, just didn't like how the conversation I'm so I didn't talk to me. What are you afraid of? You know, this you know, this is something that happens in pretty much all industry. And usually I almost lost that account because of that, you know, that communication that wasn't happening between me and him, but the fact that I took time, I had to take time to talk about, even though he was offended by me, but he didn't take time to talk about it. So it's like people would rather not deal with us because in their head we allowed and then actually having a sit down and dealing with the problem. So, yeah, that's why I to say.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:36:36] Hmm, well, thank you so much. It's really been a pleasure. You've brought you've brought so many important issues to the surface. I'm sure we could probably talk about each one of them for hours.
Abraham Sisay: [00:36:52] I know. It's like literally I like go to bars. And I was like, you know, I just someone approached me and I was like, So do you have your receipt from your driver service? I'm glad I didn't say that. But it's like the conversation just go from, so what do you do? And you just turn into a mental health conversation and then they're like, wow, I need to go see a therapist. Like I literally that's all I talk about. I'm like talking I don't stop even my three year old. I'm just talking about, you know, mental health. So how is your day to day? Not now. Not that he can talk precarity. He just goes about and says, how is your day to day? And he's so adorable that he's like doing that. I was like, yes, I was like, but now you got to listen. Now I'm teaching him that because he just how is it that and then walk away. And I was like, but I already started talking. I had a really bad day. Listen to me is like, Daddy, leave me alone and so adorable. But yeah. So I'm teaching. Hopefully somebody will listen. Actually applied to listening in Berkeley top.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:37:52] Oh well thank you. Thank you again. It's really been a pleasure talking with you.
Jenn Gottesfeld: [00:38:00] If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health emergency or needs help immediately, please call nine one one, or if that doesn't feel safe for you, you can also text start to seven four one seven four one or call one eight hundred two seven three. Talk for additional support and resources. Please visit theotherstory.substack.com. Thanks so much for listening to The Other Story and this special series for Mental Health Awareness Month. We'll see you soon and take good care.