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BREAKING POINT Get to know Black Men Heal

Aching, squeezing, and sucking the life out of every pore.
Strapping me to the bed, and making me never want to abandon it.
Tightening its grasp so strongly that I gasp for gulps of air.
Anxiety screaming in my eardrums - telling me how worthless and incapable I am. I am
unable to cope with the madness.
I bottle everything inside, screw the cap on, and pray that no one ever unleashes the
demons… Yet they come back.
They lurk inside the catacombs of my psyche, threatening to make my brain ache and my
heart shatter. Black Men Heal is an organization in Pennsylvania that designates their time in helping men heal. Black men
are known as providers and protectors, however it is not common for people to talk about black men that
They taunt me, pushing me closer to the edge. need to heal emotionally. This organization understands the missing link in mental health in black men. For
Every day, I get closer to breaking. some men mental health is not a conversation that is discussed and for others the topic of mental health is
My cracks have become visible in my plastic armor that I wear with shame. commonly ignored. Our men are in need of healing emotionally just as much as anyone else. Helpful Living
Exaggerated emotions have always been a struggle; a fight with what seems like no end. Magazine got the opportunity to get to know about Black Men Heal, their mission and goals for the future
As I press the blade against my dampened skin, I wonder to myself, ‘Will this be it?’
‘Will this be my sacrifice to the ones who have put me down?’
‘Will this be the time that I draw my last breath, here in this cell of torture that is my reality?’ HL:How did Black Men Heal get that existed beneath the mascu- was creating a safe space for men
In my moment of indecisiveness, I toss the blade across the room and curl myself into a started? line exteriors that they seemed to but not enough men of color were
tight ball on that dirty tile bathroom floor, sobbing so intensely that I hyperventilate. solely have to portray in the world. coming in. Initially she had the
I force myself off the ground, and stare deeply into the reflection of my body in the mirror. Black Men Heal started as a result “I experienced more understand- idea to offer 1 pro-bono slot in her
ing and compassion of seeing the
own schedule for a male of color,
of the vision of Tasnim Sulaiman,
I gaze upon my gaunt facial structure, my crystalized eyes shining as bright as headlights. a licensed psychotherapist who world and struggles through men’s but knew that would only help on a
My body is my temple - making my internal cracks visible on the porcelain outside proves my has been a therapist for 15 years. lens, in a way that I had not been micro scale. That’s when she won-
vulnerability to physical enemies. After being in private practice for privy to in my relationships with dered if we could find other ther-
After studying each scar left by blacked-out decision making, I tell myself it isn’t worth it. 5 years, Tasnim grew to really love men outside of the therapy room. I apists of color who might also be
- Kacey Toney the challenge and growth that she remember wishing that more men willing to do the same, we could
experienced from working with of color could have the opportuni- actually start a movement offering
men. As a therapist, she saw first- ty to unpack and heal by learning solutions to tackle this problem on
hand how men were able to open to tackle all the pain and trauma a bigger scale.
up and expose the depths of layers they store up”. The therapy room

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