National tour highlighting Black mental health comes to Tampa

Here on abc Action News, we are dedicated to reporting on mental health issues, debunking common misconceptions and connecting you with local resources. Last June, we highlighted a national tour event that serves as a safe place for Black men to get together and talk about mental health. We’re following through with an announcement by that organization, which expressed interest in coming to Tampa, but at the time, they didn’t have the local connections to hold that event here until now, thanks to one of our viewers who watched our report. “I went to their website and got their phone number, picked up the phone and called them,” said Kevin Jackson, the viewer who saw our story and decided to do what he could to get this event to Tampa. Jackson is also the chairman of Tampa Guide Right Foundation, a non-profit organization that specializes in mentoring underprivileged boys. “We had a very great conversation. It lasted about a half an hour or so and, the next thing I know, we’re in the planning stages,” said Jackson. I asked Jackson why it was important for him to reach out. “There were statistics about the increase in suicide in the Black...