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Black Boy Joy, Inc. seeks to dismantle the stigma of mental health in Black and Brown communities, address DSM-5 biases, and increase culturally competent professionals. Currently, less than 4% of U.S. psychologists are Black and less than 6% are Latino, while stigma remains one of the top three barriers to care. Rooted in pseudoscience that dehumanized African descendants, these narratives persist due to systemic racism, low representation in mental health professions, and lack of culturally tailored services. Without targeted intervention, millions remain underserved—only 30% of African Americans with mental illness receive treatment.End the

Our three-part approach—Educate, Advocate, Innovate—addresses stigma and access to mental health care in Black and Brown communities. Educate: Digital campaigns and storytelling will reach 100K+ annually, building community by fostering empathy, healing, and open dialogue. Advocate: We will host 12+ town halls with 500+ participants and partner with 10+ organizations to advance policy. These events will double as health fairs and screenings, serving vulnerable populations in fun, non-judgmental ways. Innovate: We will launch a mobile app with 1,000+ culturally competent therapists, reaching 10K+ users in 3 years. Media and social platforms will share culturally relevant programming with coping and healing tools. Using analytics, we will track engagement, close treatment gaps, target a 40% stigma reduction, and propose DSM-5 updates. Together, these strategies address both individual and systemic barriers to care. stigma