Normalizing Black Men’s Mental Health, One Story At A Time

By Sterling Davies | OBSERVER Staff Writer For Terry Sharp, growing up in Queensbridge, New York in one of the nation’s largest housing projects – surrounded by domestic abuse, gun violence, and drug use – the door seemed closed on discussing the negative impact his environment was having on his mental health. Although Sharp, now 34, knew from a young age that he struggled with depression, there was never a moment to stop and process the cause and the weight of it all. “I always dealt with feeling like there was something wrong with me or like I’m not enough,” he said. “I just didn’t know how to address it.” Sharp moved to Sacramento in 2018, and his depression persisted. It wasn’t until he faced an all-time low that his approach to life shifted. In October 2022, Sharp was shot multiple times by police officers and was incarcerated for six months. “They took money, they took my car. I couldn’t get the keys to my house,” Sharp said. I literally came out of jail with the clothes I wore in the hospital.” Sharp’s story mirrors the mental health struggles of Black men across the nation. As of 2024, suicide is...