This month, we are celebrating Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Awareness Month in Macon and the rest of the country. On Tuesday, during the Commission Meeting, Mayor Lester Miller presented a proclamation to bring awareness to this month. 

The prevalence of mental health conditions in BIPOC populations is due to, but not limited to, historical and generational trauma associated with systematic and institutional racism, acculturation, isolation, religious intolerance, stereotyping, and rejection – all of which must be opposed on every level.  

The proclamation states it is imperative that all Maconites work together to defeat the stigma, beliefs, and attitudes towards those living with mental health conditions so that more individuals will take the necessary steps to obtain the care that they deserve. You can read the full proclamation here.