“African Americans know about racism, but I don’t think we really know the causes. I decided it’s first of all a family problem.”

Knowing who you are begins in the mind.

People of color, particularly African Americans, feel the stigma more keenly. In a race-conscious society, some don’t want to be perceived as having yet another deficit.

The music was as much a gift as sunshine, as rain, as any blessing ever prayed for.

Once my loved one accepted the diagnosis, healing began for the entire family, but it took too long. It took years.

My color is my joy and not my burden.

Can’t we, as a nation, begin to speed up that process? We need a national campaign to destigmatize mental illness, especially one targeted toward African Americans.

Discipline is the servant of inspiration.

You live your life between your ears.

As I grow older part of my emotional survival plan must be to actively seek inspiration instead of passively waiting for it to find me.

Race, redemption and healing – thats my thing.

The message must go on billboards and in radio and TV public service announcements. It must be preached from pulpits and discussed in community forums. It’s not shameful to have a mental illness. Get treatment. Recovery is possible.

Forgiveness is the key to the recovery of the soul.

When we finally stop asking America to love us and begin to love ourselves, we will prosper as a people.