Overview: The African American Citizens Panel in Riverside discussed the impact of systemic racism on mental health in the Black community. Research confirms that centuries of racism have led to higher rates of mental health problems and worse outcomes for Black Americans, driven by inequities in housing, education, policing, and healthcare. The panel called for honest conversations at home, culturally competent counselors and Black therapists, mental health education in schools, support groups for Black men and veterans, and outreach through churches and trusted community organizations. The community is asking decision-makers to invest in Black-led solutions, support community-based programs, and redesign mental health services.

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Dr. Michelle C. Burroughs

“We are not broken—we are burdened. And we are done carrying that burden alone.”

This sentiment pulsed through Riverside’s recent African American Citizens Panel, where community members ages 18 to 70+ spoke openly about mental health — many for the first time in a public forum. They described a daily reality in which the weight of racism, economic strain, and invisibility in the health system sits atop ordinary life stress, pushing minds and bodies to the brink.

According to a 2024 article published in “The Lancet Psychiatry,” national research confirms what Riverside residents know in their bones: centuries of systemic racism have produced higher rates of mental health problems and worse outcomes for Black Americans. These disparate outcomes are driven by inequities in housing, education, policing and health care itself. The authors emphasized that racism — not Black identity — is the root cause of these disparities and of the underestimation, misdiagnosis, and inadequate treatment Black communities receive.

What People Are Living Through

Young adults on the panel talked about anxiety that never seems to let up. They described navigating classrooms where they feel underestimated, scrolling past constant images of violence against people who look like them, and absorbing both subtle and blatant racism at school, at work and online. The article noted that the pressure to excel while also “proving” one’s humanity leaves many feeling exhausted, on edge and unsure where it is safe to let their guard down.

Panelists said they want mental health support in the places they already trust such as barbershops, beauty salons and churches, rather than offices that feel cold or disconnected from Black life. This vision aligns with findings in “The Lancet Psychiatry” study, which called for community-centered, culturally grounded care that meets Black Americans where they are and acknowledges the realities of racism as a central driver of distress.

Older adults carried a different kind of story: decades of being told to “pray about it” or “keep family business in the family,” even when the pain was overwhelming. Many recalled emotional suffering that presented as headaches, chest tightness or high blood pressure patterns the researchers connected to chronic racial stress and limited access to responsive care.

Now, some are drawing a line. They spoke of wanting to break the cycle, so their children and grandchildren do not inherit the same silence and untreated trauma. Experts in the article observed that this intergenerational resolve reflects a broader movement from merely surviving racism’s harms to creating conditions where Black communities can truly thrive.

Community leaders at the panel were blunt: the Inland Empire does not have enough Black therapists or culturally competent providers, and the mental health system was not built with Black people in mind. National analyses discussed in the article confirmed that Black Americans are less likely than white Americans to receive care, and more likely to encounter services that ignore or minimize their experiences of racism.

As one panelist put it, “You can’t possibly comprehend how exhausting it is unless you’ve lived it.”

What Riverside’s Black Community Is Asking For

Panel participants did more than describe problems, they laid out a community blueprint for change that mirrors priorities identified by leading researchers nationwide. Among their demands were:

Honest conversations at home 

Families want tools to talk openly about stress, grief, racism, and emotional pain instead of burying it, recognizing that silence passes unhealed trauma from one generation to the next.

Culturally competent counselors and Black therapists 

Residents are calling for providers who understand Black history, culture, and the impact of racism on mental health and for systems that recruit, train, and support more Black clinicians and researchers.

Mental health education in schools

Youth and parents want schools to teach emotional literacy, coping skills, and how to recognize distress, reflecting research that early, culturally attuned intervention can reduce long-term harm.

Support groups for Black men and veterans

Panelists highlighted the need for spaces where those most likely to suppress emotion often in response to racism and expectations of toughness can speak freely and be heard.

Outreach through churches and trusted community organizations

Faith communities and grassroots groups have long been anchors of Black survival, and residents want them resourced as sites of healing and mental health support, not just spiritual care.

These priorities echo expert calls to redesign mental health systems, so they confront racism as a fundamental cause of distress which shapes every major determinant of health.