VA - Music in Support of Black Mental Health (2020)

As “Black Lives Matter” stops trending and the world prepares itself to return to normality, those directly affected will need our ongoing support to deal with the psychological impact of racism and global anti-blackness. During the last few months, in the U.K., U.S. and further afield, Covid-19 and the protests addressing the ongoing Police Brutality and systematic racism has once again drawn our attention to the healthcare disparities Black people face on a daily basis.

Currently, Black people are bearing the burden of the collective trauma as a result of the racism experienced within every facet of their lives, with very little appropriate support being offered. As our attention is drawn towards racist violence and the constant witnessing of public executions of members of the community by those sworn in to protect them, the need for specialist care is more pressing than ever. This includes the erasure of the violence targeted towards Black Trans Women.

The continuous gaslighting by various governments and those in power who refuse to address the core of this issue, has made it systematically near impossible to engage with national mental health services. Although racism cannot be dismantled overnight, we can support Black people by ensuring that their mental health is prioritised by services that are well equipped to take into account the specific needs of various Black communities and individuals.

This compilation - “Music in Support of Black Mental Health” - will split the proceeds from the release between five charities based in the U.K. and the U.S. “Nilaari”, a charity based in Bristol, focuses on community based mental health support for BAME in the city. With various services for different age groups, genders and Asylum Seekers and Refugees, their aim is to provide culturally sensitive sessions to listen, heal and build resilience. “Black Thrive”, based in Lambeth in London - historically one of the most targeted areas in the U.K. government - by prioritising the local Black community through projects tackling unemployment due to long term health conditions, school exclusions (often a directly linked to the School to Prison pipeline), Vascular Dementia and the Black LGBTQIA+ community.

In the U.S., “The Loveland Foundation” provides therapy for Black Women and Girls across the country with fellowships, residency programmes and listening tours committed to empowering and liberating the communities they support. Based in both Vermont and California, “BEAM” is a collective of advocates, yoga teachers, therapists, lawyers and artists committed to removing the barriers to Black healing. Affirming the value of all Black lives, including those differently abled individuals and the LGBT+ community, a variety of approaches is used alongside addressing the inequities within the criminal legal system. The “National Queer & Trans Therapists of Colour Network” is a healing justice organisation committed to transforming mental health for queer and trans people of colour who disproportionately are affected by systematic violence.

With Black culture influencing electronic music from its genesis, this compilation celebrates and draws on a wealth of talent across electronic genres. 28 producers and musicians have offered their support through donated music and compositions, and each Black contributor has been paid for their work. All proceeds will be split evenly between “Nilaari”, “Black Thrive”, “The Loveland Foundation”, “BEAM” and “National Queer & Trans Therapists of Colour Network”.