In Celebration of Black History Month
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Posted By: Brandalyn Gill on February 05, 2020 NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 29, 2020 Contact: Brandalyn Gill – 346.704.4431, mlkdaysummit@gmail.com, www.mlkdaysummit.com “In Celebration of Black History Month: The 2020 Martin Luther King Mental Health and Literacy Summit – Presented by the People’s Family Workshop - Continues After Talks of Collaboratives with Change Happens, University of Houston Lone Star Clinic, and Dr. Willie Mae Louis …” As Houston slowly becomes a more densely populated metropolitan area and Black History Studies makes its way to be an elective, it is quite the time for Black History Month to encompass mental health and literacy. Purging the brown communities and effecting all races, generations, ages, ethnicities, and genders, Brandalyn Gill, program director, believes neurological dysfunctions and other dis-eases should be brought to the forefront. “I know people who take medication for mental illnesses. I have known people who self-medicate to avoid medication. I know people who address their mental health homeopathically and I know people who don’t take any medication and refuse to believe they have a mental disorder … I really don’t care what people are doing. I just want the issue to be spoken of, period” Gill attests. She is a local self-published Houston Independent School District Endorsed book “Life” (2011) ; producing actress; former IHeart Radio host; motivational speaker; and community activist. She has taken quite the effort to persevere with the 2020 Martin Luther King Mental Health and Literacy Summit, as the first six months of planning and organization - even with such an established panel and collaboratives – was not as fruitful when funding became the matter. “We had and have Dr. Elwyn Lee, VP of the Chancellor’s office at University of Houston; Angelina Hudson, Director of Education and Programs at NAMI; John Robinson, Director of Education at the Houston Area Urban League; Tiffany Nelson at Imagiread (Socioemotional Learning Per Literacy); and Deloyd Parker, President and Co-Founder of the S.H.A.P.E Center – Houston. I expected some organizations and groups not to want to be involved because of the subject matter and the fact that the information would be spoken of ‘in the ghetto’. I did not expect for leaders in the community that needed it the most to be so silent. It was almost hurtful, especially at this critical time in my life” Gill cries out. She has been healing her daughter of oppositional and defiant disorder with conduct impairment for the last six months. “I was able and willing to ghost my daughter at a school that illegally suspend her seven times every single day … We went through two assessments and two therapists for a five-year-old baby. People would hear her story and be amazed but would do nothing … I think Houston, and more pointedly, Texas is quite immature when it comes to mental health. I believe we can be so black-and-white with our line of thinking in Texas, Houston, and especially Harris County. It is due time for us to step up and advantageously place our stakes in the ground about homelessness, prostitution, human trafficking, drugs, and imprisonment. Quite a few of these instances branch from mental illness. Why would we not want to address this … if not to continue to keep this as a ‘prized subject’ from the lower class?” Gill declares, as she was bold enough to walk her daughter’s story right to the front desk of Fox 26 News, last week after emailing Isiah Carey at the station … The 2020 Martin Luther King Mental Health and Literacy Summit will make its way to the public finally this summer but Gill and all participants ask everyone to participate in the community fundraiser to be expanded on the event website for Black History Month. “This time, we will do this event, with all we have mustered up. It is the first of its kind and we shall not be moved … for anything…” Program Director states with high hopes for the festivities after clearance from the Mayor’s Office because of the event date move, only. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Brandalyn Gill
Program Director, Illumination Literary Publish Company Member Since January 2020 |
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