TOLEDO, Ohio — Data from the state of Ohio indicates there are 596 men imprisoned in Lucas County; of that total, 60% are Black men.
Lashanna Alfred, a licensed social worker, said there is no doubt that mental health plays a role, and we all need to help eliminate the stigma. She is seeking to improve Black men's relationship to their own mental health and emotions during an upcoming event.
Alfred was born and raised in the inner city Toledo, and her mother and father were both killed when she was just a child. When she became an adult, she was placed behind bars in a prison overseas.
She said the experience forced her to see herself for who she was and who she wanted to be.
When she got back to America, her parole officer encouraged her to go to school. She went to the University of Toledo and received a bachelor's and master's degree.
Today, Alfred works as a licensed independent social worker; for the second year in a row, she's holding an event and conference to highlight the importance of prioritizing your mental health.
The event is a fashion show called "The Unveiling".
The show will also use music, style and modeling to highlight confidence. Alfred said this encourages everyone to take off their masks and to be their authentic selves.
The Black male experience with mental health and the stigma around it will be discussed and led by a panel of men in the Toledo Community.
The Panel conversation is titled "Men Cry". Panelists will discuss how men struggle with mental health, how stigmas discourage people from getting help and how to manage emotions.
"We always talk about anger," Alfred said. "Anger is just a symptom of hurt, and so anger going unaddressed turns into rage, and rage unaddressed turns into murder and into violence. So, it's important to me because even when I was growing up I didn't know anything about mental health or any of that. When I began to grow up and experience my own trials in life, it put me in a place that if I have better information, I want to share it with others."
The conference will also highlight Alfred's five-step strategy to managing your mental health. Alfred said managing mental health includes events, thoughts, feelings, behaviors and then results.
"A lot of times people think the events are controlling the emotions, but what I teach individuals is that it's not the event, it's actually what you think of the event," she said. "If I can teach you how to think differently about life events, whether that's loss of a loved one, or divorce and break ups, you will be able to manage your emotions."
The Unveiling is a family event. Men, women, and children are invited to the event at The Premier banquet hall on May 5. The event begins at 2 p.m. and lasts until 6 p.m.
Sponsors and vendors are also encouraged to sign up. You can find out more through Alfred's website.
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