It wasn’t that way back that that conversations about mental health were few and much between. Resources available to support wellbeing would feel out of reach and/or be considered taboo to debate amongst family and friends, especially within the Black community. But because the aughts (2000 to 2009) got here and went and social media boomed in popularity and in creating connections, wellness and healing have grow to be not only buzzwords but a priority for a lot of. There was a fantastic increase in services and products for people to enhance health, nutrition, mindfulness, appearance, etc. in relation to wellness, a lot in order that the industry is projected to hit $7 trillion of the U.S. economy by the yr 2025.

Yet, there are still struggles to find tailored resources for ladies of color and tools to get their mental health needs met. That’s where Elyse Fox steps in. She is a movie director, mental health advocate, Rare Beauty board member, and CEO of Sad Girls Club. Fox noticed that although spaces for mental health were now flourishing, she was seeing a scarcity of representation for ladies who looked like her. She decided to alter that.

Fox created the Sad Girls Club to destigmatize mental wellness for millennial and Gen Z womxn, girls, and femmes of color. Inside SGC, there are three goals in mind: to assist increase mental health conversations, to offer services for many who wouldn’t have access to therapy or treatments, and to create spaces in real life to construct community for young women to supply their shared experiences. While SGC was created to offer secure space for more women and girls, this nonprofit stemmed from Fox’s own experience together with her mental health. In 2017, she released a documentary called Conversation With Friends, which depicts her life with depression. From the overwhelming response she received from the film, she found it only fitting to affirm Black women by starting SBC, letting them know that they usually are not alone of their mental health journey. Since its launch, it has grown to members across five continents and reaches around 40 countries.

In efforts to curate community in person, Fox and her team launched an annual wellness summit called The After Effect: House of Wellness, in Brooklyn, where attendees could come and easily be. That easy opportunity is a vital a part of one’s wellness journey. The second After Effect: House of Wellness summit was held Sunday, May 11. Fox shared with ESSENCE the intention behind planning such an event.

“Since I’m within the wellness space and I’d get invited to various things, as a Black woman, I felt that I used to be a token within the space. I also don’t think there are events curated for my needs specifically,” she says. “So as an alternative of attempting to fit into other people’s boxes, I made a decision to create my very own. So my intention for The After Effect was to take into consideration what wellness means and what are the pillars of wellness for this season. For this yr, it was rest, recharging, and replenishment. I provided different activations that aligned with those pillars.”

In partnership with Maybelline and their initiative #BraveTogether, this wellness summit was crammed with food, drinks, great music, and multiple activations for attendees to select from. For leisure, the summit provided massage stations. For recharging there have been yoga and paint and sip sessions. Lastly, for a pleasant pick-me-up, there was a flower bar, a Maybelline makeup master class, and a wellness bodega at no cost to-go goodies from various brands. Each station was intentionally led by businesses owned by women of color.

Creating spaces equivalent to these helps women understand the importance of prioritizing mental health of their lives.

“I feel my parents didn’t discuss mental health after I was growing up since it was such a hush taboo situation, which is admittedly unlucky,” says attendee Carine Alexis. “I think that if we had had honest conversations about mental health earlier on, my early maturity would have been much easier. As a young adult, I struggled loads and have become the primary person in my family to go to therapy. But with summits like this, we are able to change the way in which we give it some thought. I wish more people of color destigmatized how we feel and internally process what’s occurring in our lives.”

Fox also wants the summit to showcase that the goal will not be perfection in relation to mental health, but that through the ups and downs, you will notice the expansion inside yourself. One other attendee, Bryanna Young, shared how the summit’s activities were exactly what she needed to see that.

“My favorite activity was the flower bar. I just love flowers and It jogs my memory of this quote that has all the time stuck with me. Nothing in nature blooms all yr. There’s a season for every part. So I feel that’s how we should always approach our wellness journeys,” she says. “Within the spring, you’ll have your rainy days and in the autumn, you’re shedding. But you’ll bloom again.”

As events like The After Effect proceed to be more accessible, the hope is that individuals, Black women especially, see there may be safety in vulnerability.

“My organization has taught me that I’m seen and that individuals feel seen after I see them,” says Fox. “Me showing up for people in those essential moments is enough for people to know they’ve support.”