G Herbo is advocating for the importance of mental health in the Black community with a new initiative. The Chicago rapper — whose real name is Herbert Wright — launched Swervin’ Through Stress, a nonprofit organization to increase awareness.
“Our community doesn’t talk about mental health enough,” he told Billboard. “With Swervin’ Through Stress, I really wanted to create a space where it’s OK for us to talk about what we’re going through. A lot of us can relate to each other’s struggles.”
According to the news outlet, the nonprofit is kick-starting its activities with an event on May 20. The Black Joy Ride Event will feature a bike ride through the streets of Chicago and include yoga and wellness brand pop-ups. The day after, the mental health organization will host an event in partnership with Free Root Operations Bloom Program to help women affected by gun violence. Women can access a local spa and do a breathwork workshop, among other wellness activities.
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G Herbo has been open about his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder following an encounter with the law.
“To be honest, I wasn’t familiar with going to share my problems with somebody so I already didn’t think it was something that I would want to do,” he told HipHopDX. “That was probably my first introduction to me embracing my PTSD, but we’re so immune to a lot of this stuff that go on in the inner city with like violence, going to jail and all that kind of s**t.”
Swervin’ Through Stress aims to destigmatize conversations around mental health for African American men through education, providing resources and coping mechanisms to combat mental illness.
Conversations surrounding mental health remain taboo within the Black community for various reasons, including a fraught history with the U.S. healthcare system.
