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DENVER (KDVR) — Hip hop royalty set foot in Denver on Thursday evening. Legendary rapper Grasp P was not utilizing his phrases for lyrics — as a substitute, he was utilizing his phrases to coach Coloradans about psychological well being struggles within the Black neighborhood.
The Nineteen Nineties entertainer took the microphone with a special movement to share his story and encourage younger individuals and his personal tradition. Music is only one of Grasp P’s many skills; he’s additionally an actor, father, producer, athlete and entrepreneur who’s utilizing his life experiences to raise up the Black neighborhood and shine mild on some darkish points.
To the music business he’s Grasp P, however on Thursday evening at New Hope Baptist Church, he’s Percy Miller.
“It takes a village, and that village is us coming collectively,” Miller stated.
Mayor Hancock talks psychological well being at Grasp P occasion
Miller was a visitor speaker on the Extraordinary Speaker collection hosted by Colorado branches of the NAACP. The civil rights organizations are becoming a member of forces to debate the Black neighborhood’s experiences with psychological well being, schooling, financial inequality and environmental justice.
In line with an official launch, the NAACP Extraordinary Audio system Sequence started Thursday, Oct. 27, with a presentation on “Understanding the Blue E book.” The collection goes till Thursday, Nov. 17, and contains digital classes on environmental justice with the Denver NAACP Environmental justice committee (Nov. 3) and “Speaking About Race with Youngsters” with Dr. Darlene Sampson and Dr. Rosemarie Allen (Nov. 17).
On Thursday night, individuals of all ages packed the pews at New Hope Baptist Church for the occasion, which began with testimonials from NAACP representatives discussing generational trauma and psychological sickness, adopted by phrases from Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.
“As a Black neighborhood we frequently say, ‘Child, pray about it,’” Hancock stated. “However we additionally know that religion with out works is lifeless. We’ve obtained individuals and virtually everybody on this room has some type of psychological well being problem in our household, and we as a neighborhood have gotten to stand up.”
Grasp P shares his personal psychological well being struggles
After his remarks, the mayor gave a heat welcome to Miller, who took the stage as the group cheered with applause. The entertainer mentioned tackling Black psychological well being, one thing that’s nonetheless a stigma within the African American neighborhood and never extensively mentioned.
“We don’t speak about it as Black individuals, we attempt to conceal it as a result of we really feel prefer it’s an issue that makes us weak and it makes us susceptible,” Miller stated. “We’re dropping so many lives; we’re dropping so many individuals.”
Miller spoke from his coronary heart and his personal private experiences. Miller’s daughter suffered from psychological sickness and this previous Could, she died from an unintended fentanyl overdose at simply 29 years previous. Outliving his daughter has fueled Miller’s fireplace within the struggle, and it’s one thing Colorado is preventing itself. Fentanyl overdoses throughout the state and nation have skyrocketed.
“We taking fentanyl,” Miller stated. “We doing every kind of issues. We considering this isn’t going to kill us. Self-medication isn’t the reply.”
Miller preached to younger youngsters that as a substitute of turning to substances to manage, strive opening up the traces of communication and asking for assist. The entertainer shared private tales and had a tough life himself, saying he didn’t have a mattress till he was in faculty. He stated religion obtained him via his struggles and now he’s dedicated to serving to and guiding others with objectives of stopping the psychological well being stigma and instructing financial empowerment.
“I pray for knowledge,” Miller stated. “I don’t pray for cash; cash comes and goes. We will’t take it with us. Psychological sickness and substance abuse is actual. How we make these modifications and the way we dwell goes to begin with you.”
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