Melanin Minds reclaims mental health for communities of color

From Defender:

They didn’t meet face to face until 18 hours before launching their first mental health conference in 2021, but that didn’t stop LaGina R. Harris and Melissa Matos from building one of Houston’s most impactful wellness movements.

The two solopreneurs met on Instagram during the pandemic, connected over burnout and entrepreneurship and decided on a plan to create something they both needed but couldn’t find: A mental health space made by and for communities of color. 

That idea became Melanin Minds, a nonprofit organization rooted in cultural relevance, intergenerational healing and mental health advocacy for Black and Hispanic communities. What started as a hybrid mental health event is now a multi-day, multi-city experience supported by the Houston Texans YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters and a growing network of health practitioners, community leaders and families.

Read the full feature by Laura Onyeneho on Defender