Simone Biles, one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time, made headlines last month when she decided to withdraw from two Tokyo Olympic competitions to prioritize her mental health.
Biles, whose decision to pull back from the team finals and individual all-around competition sparked conversations on what it means to center one’s mental health amid professional obligations. Just a month prior, Biles’ peer Naomi Osaka announced she wouldn't be doing post-game press at Wimbledon before pulling out of the competition altogether.
While both of these top-tier athletes’ choices caused an uproar from critics and folks who likely have not and will never walk in their shoes, they have inspired impactful dialogue of what it truly means to provide allyship to Black women and how they deal with their mental health.
Below are seven influential Black women who, like Biles and Osaka, made the decision to put their mental health before professional obligations.
1. Megan Thee Stallion’s social media break
If anyone’s had a successful year, it’s none other than Megan Thee Stallion. The self-described “hot girl coach” announced a social media hiatus, fresh off the heels of making Grammy history earlier this year. The "Body" rapper taught us all a valuable lesson on what it means to reflect on major wins while taking care of your mental.
2. Naomi Osaka’s refusal to speak with media post-game
Naomi Osaka may be the No. 2 women’s tennis player but she’s No.1 at being a sound example of putting yourself first.
Earlier this summer, Osaka’s withdrawal from press events at the French Open due to safeguarding her mental health taught many of us the importance of doing what you want, when you want it to protect one’s self.
3. Michelle Williams checking herself into a treatment center
Destiny’s Child alum, Michelle Williams, encouraged her supporters to “check in” with themselves with the release of her new book this year, Checking In: How Getting Real about Depression Saved My Life — and Can Save Yours but she was checking in with herself long before that.
In 2018, Williams checked herself into a treatment center for depression, a powerful move that inspired us all to hold ourselves accountable as it relates to our mental health.
4. Chika takes social media hiatus
In April, rapper Chika suggested she was retiring from music, citing the toll the music industry had been taking on her mental health. She later clarified that she wasn't retiring and just needed a break from social media. In April, she returned to the cybersphere and took a jab at the colonization of AAVE.
5. Mariah Carey’s battle with bipolar disorder
Three years ago, Mariah Carey revealed she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2001.
She has since opened up about her healing by way of therapy and medication, letting us all know that it’s never too late to seek the help you deserve.
6. Lisa Nicole Carson’s Hollywood hiatus
Lisa Nicole Carson, best known for her roles on Ally McBeal and Love Jones, was a staple in many of our households in the coveted 90s era but disappeared for more than a decade.
Why? To focus on her mental health. After sparring with bouts of bipolar depression, the actress returned home to New York City to prioritize her healing by working with doctors and taking medications to aid in her sustained recovery.
7. Michelle Obama’s "low-grade depression"
Michelle Obama, often hailed as our “forever First Lady” opened up last year about suffering from “low-grade depression” due to the racial injustices plaguing the country at the time and our former president’s unprofessionalism.
Obama, in all of her glamour and candor, revealed that she had turned her focus onto giving herself grace when she lacked motivation and focusing on her fitness and establishing routines.
