Today on The Breakfast Club, Shanti Das Discuss Mental Health Education, Finding Your 'Happy' Place, Outkast's Cultural Impact 🦋. Listen For More!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club Morning.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Everybody is DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the Guy.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
We are the Breakfast Club. It is Mental Health.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Awareness Month, as it is what we do each and
every May May fifth, to be exact, Silence the Shame Day,
and we have a very special guest, Shanty D. How
are you are you feeling?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
I'm feeling good.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
Actually, so ten years ago I almost took my own life. Well,
it'll be ten years in September, so this is like
my year of rebirth, That's what I'm calling it. And
I'm in such a good place in space, and I
have really accepted being like this mental health advocate and
doing this work and not being stressed about going back
in the music industry, even though I'm still proud of
my boys, Like okayst I just got it going to
(00:46):
be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and so it's.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Just it's good. I'm feeling really good. Thanks for asking.
Speaker 5 (00:51):
Before we get into Silence the Shame Day and Mental
Health Awareness Month, I do want to ask you what
does Outcast being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame mean to you?
Speaker 1 (01:00):
You was there, from day one.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It means everything. They zero. Actually, yeah, plays Ball.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Was the first record I ever worked, and so shout
out to Andre Big, the late Rico A organized noise.
It's like the holy grail right of music. And so
they finally achieved that, and I couldn't be more proud
and just to have been there passing out like cassettes
doing freak neck and you know the Southern playlist that
could be.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Documentary with documentary. Yeah, they were talking about you giving
out you have to go get back today.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
It's crazy, Like whenever I see too Short, he was like, yo,
you gave me that cassette and was like, y'all check
out my new group Outcast.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
They're gonna be dope. And we laugh about it all
the time.
Speaker 5 (01:37):
Did you know that Outcasts would become the global iconic
superstars that they became.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
I mean, you never know, right, but I had the
oh on my chest, right, the hell on my chest
LA face Outcasts, and I just was really committed and
dedicated because I knew that the A was gonna support them.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
It was a different.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Sound and like you know, in Atlanta, we grew up
supporting East Coast rap what's cosp but we didn't really
have our own even though we had people like Shaddy,
they hadn't really received national attention, right, and we will
always wear like Dodger's hats or Yankees hats. But finally
we could wear like the Falcons, you know, logo in
the year and the Braves gear because Big Boy and
Drey made that cool.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
And they really brought like.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Atlanta to the world like Ush's doing now on his tour, right,
he bringing the aid to the world. But Outcasts set
that up initially and really transform hip hop absolutely. Now,
I know they transformed Southern hip hop, but look at
like a lot of the artists that are still influential,
they're still from the South. And so to have been
at the forefront of that and been right there with them,
like I can't explain it, like it kind of solidified
(02:38):
even just me in my journey and what I've been
able to contribute to the music cultures.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
Is arguably the greatest hip hop group of all time
and one of the greatest group's period in music of
all time.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
You know, So when you started the show, you were
talking about your rebirth right. You thought about committing suicide
ten years ago. Now with this day and age, What
do you tell somebody that's possibly thinking the same thing.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
You know, it's stressful.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
You know they're looking at the price of everything going up,
it's hard to get a job, they're looking at politics,
and they might feel left out. They might feel like
there's no place for them. So what do you tell
that person, especially in this social media world where nobody
wants to be your friend and it's a very evil place,
what do you tell that person that individual?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
First of all, it's like honor your feelings. If you're
not feeling good, you gotta acknowledge that right I coin
this new little acronym rapping through your problems. The R
is being able to recognize those unfamiliar feelings, the A
and RAP is acknowledging and accepting right that somebody, right,
I don't.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Feel like myself.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
And the P is being able to process through those
feelings with a licensed professional counselor or someone you know
that can actually help you. Even if you call your PCP,
your primary doctor, say I'm not feeling like myself. So
you gotta be able to recognize, accept and acknowledge those
feelings and understand that you got to protect your peace.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
At all costs.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
You got to be unapologetic right now, more so than ever,
because like you said, like we're getting hit in a
lot of different directions and people be like, oh, yeah,
we all in this together.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Not really, we might be in.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
The same storm, but wean in the same boat, right,
and whether it's socioeconomic factors, lack of access to care, like,
it's not the same, and we can't pretend that it's
the same. And I know we have people that you
know want to help and do more, but you gotta
dig deep inside yourself because even when I was going
through my suicidal ideation, I had to dig into my
(04:31):
faith in my spirituality, and I had to also talk
to people and let people in.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
So that's truly important.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
And then I tell people, you gotta remove things that
aren't serving you anymore.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
You can't just be a people pleaser, like let.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Go of the scrolling, the doom scrolling and all of
that and really focus and be present with yourself. And
sometimes therapy isn't for everyone, but doing like sound baths
or getting out walking, immersing yourself in nature, like all
of that really matters. And like for me now, if
I'm not feeling good because still go through my moments,
I'll just get up and go outside and take a walk,
(05:03):
or I'll tell people like, hey, I need a minute,
and it's okay. That's your time, that's your mind, that's
your body, that's your spirit. So you gotta really take
ownership of your mental health and wellness, because every day,
y'all is something different. Like I'm like, am I in
a movie? Like did that get scripted into something I
didn't sign up for? Because it's really scary. And then
even seeing yesterday, I know you can't believe everything you
(05:24):
see on social media, but I try to go to reputable.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Outlets, right, like the breakfast Club.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
But I saw on one of the other outlets that
the federal government is considering like canceling one billion dollars
of funding for mental health for students being able to
provide additional counselors and that sort of thing in school
systems across the nation.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
And that's really scary.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
And we know how mental health is affecting young kids
because of this little thing right here, right. And I
don't just only I don't only blame social media, but
it's a lot of pressure and these kids need the support.
So y'all, we gotta fight back and fight back in
terms of protecting your peace, get the help you need,
reaching out to organizations like Silence to Shame. There's a
(06:05):
super dope lady I met last week at they accelerate
her conference in Miami. Her name is Ashante, and she
does a lot of healing, and so she just talked
about the importance of like really immersing yourself in these
healing practices with everything that's going on right and so
I'm recommitting myself right to whatever I'm doing is giving
time for Shanti. If I got to set an appointment
(06:27):
at three o'clock during the day for Shanty to like
step away and take a moment and breathe or get
them aside to do something like you just gotta.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Do it, y'all.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
What do you advise for people to find their happy place? Right?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So I realized, like, my biggest happy place is my family, right,
I can cut off. I enjoy watching my daughter's dance.
I enjoy watching my son play soccer, I enjoy talking
to the kids cooking.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
So I found my.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Happy place, right. How do you tell somebody to find
their happy place where? You know, how do you do that?
Because it has to be a place where they just
let go and release.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
One hundred percent. But think about some of the most
joyful times. And I know every body's life wasn't the same.
To let me start with that. Some people did not
have a happy upbringing, and I'm sorry for that, right,
and if that was your truth and your journey, But
if you did have fun when you were growing up,
go back to when you were like eight years old,
like what.
Speaker 6 (07:15):
Whatever that mean?
Speaker 3 (07:19):
I mean, what do you and what did you used
to do to make you happy?
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Playing outside? That's why I love grounding so much. I
tell the dots that all the time. Take your shoes
offespecially now, I just want to take your shoes off,
taket socks off, go walking around barefoot in the grass,
just run around the yard, your there, ride your bike, Like,
think about how joy as you felt as a kid
when you simply played outside.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I was over at my cousin's house the other day
and I started playing with the Rube's cue and I
was like, yeah, I forgot how much I love this
and it had me going for like an hour. But
just find things that used to bring you joy.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Get your Bobbie Doll, Jess Herriet.
Speaker 6 (07:50):
Oh, I'm already happy and over, Joey, you gotta find
that inner child that is so important. Yeah, I'm glad
that you are actually like somebody that can speak who
has gone through the whole thoughts of suicide and everything
like that, because you had to be going through some
real things. It's this guy on social media who is
documenting like he's planning to take his own life, you know,
(08:11):
and he's documenting every day. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's on
social media. And one of my people who fixed their
mess on that's what the mess they sent this person
to me. And so he's just every day he's leading up.
So he's going around like spending time, spending his last
moments with like with his friends and his loved ones
and stuff.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
And then nobody stepped in enough.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
He's not telling them, he's not telling everybody what he's doing.
But I'm like, how is how nobody's seeing Like because
he's online, he document says, he doesn't delete it, his
lives and stuff, he posts them, right, And so he's
going to dinner with his people just talking about life,
going around the world, talking to strangers about life and
things like that. And then just last week, like he
went on his date, you know, with a guy or whatever,
(08:55):
and then you know, like he had sex with the
guy and everything, and he got online to say how
great it was. So he's just doing things that like
he thinks it would bring him to that list right
right before he go and then like he was on
Live Happy just like a couple of days ago, and
I'm like, so, are you doing this for you know,
the clout and some dick or you just you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Are you you know what I mean?
Speaker 6 (09:18):
But it's well in that case real, but this is
like his he's like thirty days countdown and it's like
he got like nine days left.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
I hope that someone is intervening, Yeah, because if it's
out there like that, then somebody in his family or
his friend circle should be intervening and having him called
nine to eight eight, which is the National Courts's life.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Yes, super important.
Speaker 6 (09:40):
And that's the thing.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
I'm not being judgmental, but we I hope he knows
that his life is important and that help is available
if he really is truly hurting that bad, because all
he's doing is putting band aids over the situation and
what's going on, or he's happy moments could just be
band aids if he's really in crisis.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
Put the phone down, though, Like, how are you documenting
something that is so that's leading to.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Sound like help with me, you know it? So I
want to ask you this bout suicide.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Like sometimes I'm sure you're familiar with the mail robins
let them theory, right, which is basically, let people make
their own choices whatever they want to do. So sometimes
you hear adults complaining, you know, nothing is ever going
right for them. They all they're always telling you, you know,
about all the bad that's happening in their world. They
talk to you about wanting to commit suicide, and you
strangely start to understand where they where they're where they're
(10:29):
coming from. Oh you know, uh, and you realize encouraging
them to get help isn't working. So do you just
let those people make their own choices?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Like that's a that's a really great question.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
It's a tough question at the same time, you know
the thing about it, the reason why with silence of shame,
we try to provide as many resources as possible. But
you can't make someone do something right that they don't
want to do. But you can try to be a
positive influence in their lives. And so I've talked to
people you know who have been contemplating, and I shared
my story. That's why I storytelling is so important and
(11:01):
people have to speak up and share their stories around it.
I don't think you just kind of like relinquish everything
and let it go, but you try to be there
for them and keep encouraging them as much as possible
and putting resources in front of them and showing them
how other people have survived, because you know, the last
thing you want to do is kind of wash your
hands of it, and then you know a week or
(11:22):
two later or something happened.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
But then, yes, you're right, But then we also got
to protect.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Our people, so you do it to the extent to
your point that you are kind of protecting your peace
because again, you know, people have choices, right, God gave
man and woman choice, so you can only do so much.
But and then you know faith comes into play. You know,
I'm a woman of faith, and so I'll continue to
pray for that person. So yeah, do what you can
(11:48):
as much as possible, put the resources in front of them,
and you know.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Let's hope and pray for the best. But a lot of.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
Times when people are in crisis, they don't know how
to get the help right, or they need somebody to say, hey,
I'll go to the with you, or I'll help y'all walk.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
With you through this process. And you can only do
what you can do.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
And you were right.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
So Trump administration did discontinue one billion dollars in school
mental health grants, and the grants supported hiring school psychologists
and counselors, and it was funded by bipartisan legislation that
was passed after the twenty twenty two massacre.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
At you you what is it? You all day? You've
all day?
Speaker 3 (12:22):
You can see a lot of schools.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Sometimes they might have one counselor for like ten schools,
and it's like the number of kids that are in crisis,
Like that's just not enough help and support. And sometimes
they're not licensed professional counselors. They just may be social workers,
which social workers are great, but oftentimes if these kids
need to learn how to get through the crisis that
they're in, they need someone that's license right and more
(12:44):
of a professional counselor. So you know, y'all got to
call your you know, your legislators, you know, talk to
your senators, talk to your congressmen and women, and you know,
we got to push back on this because we need
that funding, right, they need to keep pouring into our kids.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
And it is as you see the suicide rates going
up and depression going up or do you see it
stabilized or do you see it coming down? With all
the mental health talk and all the you know, platforms
and places where people have to go.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Now, what do you see?
Speaker 4 (13:12):
So for what I think the last study that I
saw was like from twenty twenty one or either twenty
twenty two, and suicide rates, particularly for black youth who.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Are up thirty percent.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
You know a lot of those studies, they don't happen
every single year, right, those large pool of research studies.
But there has been an end tick, I mean an
uptick rather even just two weeks ago, there was a
young man in Atlanta who happened to have gone to
Palm two years ago, and then some of my other
friend's cousins knew him.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
He took his own life.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
You know, so I still see I'm still getting texts
and comments about these young people like taking their own lives,
and so it's still prevalent.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Are they limited on social media. Is that what they're
saying it is, or they're saying lack.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Of resources in the school, or like what are they saying?
Speaker 2 (13:54):
The reason is I'm always curious because I just feel like,
you know, when we were growing up, we would we
were just as bad, but we just didn't have that
social media element where people were constantly going at it.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
I don't think we had the language, nor do I
think we had the same spaces to even express those issues.
Like my dad was dealing with all types of mental
health issues that he never talked talked to me about
until I was like forty years old.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
But we didn't know how to name it or what
to call it.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Is right, But even with all that, it's getting worse.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
It feels like it should be getting better now that
your dad could talk, and that I can talk and
be open and just could talk. But I feel like
it should be getting better, but it doesn't seem like
it is.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Well, you know, I don't know if I can pinpoint
it on one particular thing, envy, but I do think
it's still a lack of resources in some areas because
it's still in underserved communities. People know about it, but
they aren't taking that next step. That's why I'm proud
I have an announcement. So we created this PSA campaign
and it was around black men's mental health and it
was called Healing the Spaces between Us and so it
(14:49):
was a grandfather, a father, and a son and we
just got nominated for Southeast Emmy. Y'all shout out to
making Sure Jopringo, who is our creative direct there, and
Oak Films who put it together. But you know, we're
really trying to push that narrative, especially to you know,
young black men and their grandparents and their fathers. Y'all
get together and talk about it.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Nothing to be ashamed.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
About, but you got to put your cars out on
the table and talk about it.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
Yesterday in Atlanta or not yesterday the last week with
Black Children's Mental Health Day, right yep.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
So two years ago, Senator Anderson in the State of
Georgia road a resolution designating May first as Black Children's
Mental Health Day in Georgia on behalf.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Of Silence of Shame.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
We'd love to do that in New York. So maybe
we could partner with the Mental Health Alliance. Let's do
it designate May first in New York State because Again,
we're trying to just bring awareness to the problems that's
going on, so we can try to you know, cut
off those the numbers right that keep increasing for suicides.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
Absolutely, and you know this is Mental Health Awareness Month,
and there's always a lot of focus on raising awareness, right,
but how do we move past just awareness and start
like action steps for actual healing.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Again, I think you know, you got to meet people
where they're at again, you talked about the uncertain times.
Like part of our we have a mental health toolkit
on Silence, toshame dot com, a number of things that
you can do to honor the month and to push
resources out to the community. So one of the areas
we're focusing on is fire and rescue because you know,
we're seeing all these natural disasters and things happening in
the world. So we're pushing out resources that are targeted,
(16:21):
you know, to the firefighters and to people that are
out there on the front lines. Also, we did a
toolkit for the federal workers. Right, a lot of people
that have been let go. I think maybe half of
the people that got let go were due to the
cuts within this administration, and so we want to talk
directly to those that are suffering from a federal employee perspective,
(16:41):
letting them know to establish a routine, even though you
got let go get your daily routine going, even if
it's like looking for that next job, Like establish a
routine so you can protect your peace and practice mindfulness
and reach out if you need support. So we're trying
to target specific subgroups and people within the community, and
so you just gotta you gotta be forceful in a
(17:02):
way about it, so that we are unapologetic about healing
and getting help that we need, but looking at specific
groups of people because we can all say we're all
in this together. Mental health is important. We know we
got to take care of it. But when you talk
directly at a specific group of people, I think that's
when you start moving the needle and getting people to listen.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Absolutely well.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
How can people if they want to tap in and
they want to hear it or more information or they
want to help, how can they get involved?
Speaker 4 (17:27):
First of all, visit our website silences Shame dot com again.
Today is National Silence a Shame Day and we have
a campaign.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
It's May fifth.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
We just want people to get five dollars, you know,
and the five dollars. I will say, if it's too
difficult for you, please save your money, pay your rent,
you do whatever you gotta do. But if you can
spare five dollars or more, you can text the words
silence to seven oh seven O seven O. Also understand
that nine eight eight is a free resources out there.
We recently partnered with the City of Atlanta. Shout out
(17:54):
to Mayor Dickens and Courtney English who came together with us,
and we're pushing nine eight eight out to everybody that
in you know, the city of Atlanta and beyond, and
you know, just really trying to make sure that we're
pushing as many resources to the community as possible.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
So please support us. Y'all talk about it.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
Don't just you know, if you're a young person and
you listen to the Breakfast Club and you are, you know,
going through something with a friend, talk about it. Don't
just like throw some foul stuff on social media about
that person. You know, be the bigger person, you know,
be unapologetic about healing and letting go the things that
don't serve you anymore.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
Absolutely, and one more question, Shanty, there's nobody that protects
the piece more than Andre three thousand. Do you think
he's even.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Gonna come to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
What's the under old pheamony, I say he gonna be there.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
I think he's coming. I will say.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
I call both Big Andre after you know, the announcement
came out and Andrea, both of them were so excited.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Drey was really excited.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
Okay, so we're gonna we're gonna keep home alive.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Ladies and gentlemen, today is silenced, the shame day mental
health away in this month.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Of course, we appreciate you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
It's the Breakfast Club, Good Morning, wake that ass up
in the morning. The Breakfast Club
Speaker 2 (19:09):
M
Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club Morning.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Everybody is DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the Guy.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
We are the Breakfast Club. It is Mental Health.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Awareness Month, as it is what we do each and
every May May fifth, to be exact, Silence the Shame Day,
and we have a very special guest, Shanty D. How
are you are you feeling?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
I'm feeling good.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
Actually, so ten years ago I almost took my own life. Well,
it'll be ten years in September, so this is like
my year of rebirth, That's what I'm calling it. And
I'm in such a good place in space, and I
have really accepted being like this mental health advocate and
doing this work and not being stressed about going back
in the music industry, even though I'm still proud of
my boys, Like okayst I just got it going to
(00:46):
be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and so it's.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Just it's good. I'm feeling really good. Thanks for asking.
Speaker 5 (00:51):
Before we get into Silence the Shame Day and Mental
Health Awareness Month, I do want to ask you what
does Outcast being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame mean to you?
Speaker 1 (01:00):
You was there, from day one.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It means everything. They zero. Actually, yeah, plays Ball.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Was the first record I ever worked, and so shout
out to Andre Big, the late Rico A organized noise.
It's like the holy grail right of music. And so
they finally achieved that, and I couldn't be more proud
and just to have been there passing out like cassettes
doing freak neck and you know the Southern playlist that
could be.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Documentary with documentary. Yeah, they were talking about you giving
out you have to go get back today.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
It's crazy, Like whenever I see too Short, he was like, yo,
you gave me that cassette and was like, y'all check
out my new group Outcast.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
They're gonna be dope. And we laugh about it all
the time.
Speaker 5 (01:37):
Did you know that Outcasts would become the global iconic
superstars that they became.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
I mean, you never know, right, but I had the
oh on my chest, right, the hell on my chest
LA face Outcasts, and I just was really committed and
dedicated because I knew that the A was gonna support them.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
It was a different.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Sound and like you know, in Atlanta, we grew up
supporting East Coast rap what's cosp but we didn't really
have our own even though we had people like Shaddy,
they hadn't really received national attention, right, and we will
always wear like Dodger's hats or Yankees hats. But finally
we could wear like the Falcons, you know, logo in
the year and the Braves gear because Big Boy and
Drey made that cool.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
And they really brought like.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Atlanta to the world like Ush's doing now on his tour, right,
he bringing the aid to the world. But Outcasts set
that up initially and really transform hip hop absolutely. Now,
I know they transformed Southern hip hop, but look at
like a lot of the artists that are still influential,
they're still from the South. And so to have been
at the forefront of that and been right there with them,
like I can't explain it, like it kind of solidified
(02:38):
even just me in my journey and what I've been
able to contribute to the music cultures.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
Is arguably the greatest hip hop group of all time
and one of the greatest group's period in music of
all time.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
You know, So when you started the show, you were
talking about your rebirth right. You thought about committing suicide
ten years ago. Now with this day and age, What
do you tell somebody that's possibly thinking the same thing.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
You know, it's stressful.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
You know they're looking at the price of everything going up,
it's hard to get a job, they're looking at politics,
and they might feel left out. They might feel like
there's no place for them. So what do you tell
that person, especially in this social media world where nobody
wants to be your friend and it's a very evil place,
what do you tell that person that individual?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
First of all, it's like honor your feelings. If you're
not feeling good, you gotta acknowledge that right I coin
this new little acronym rapping through your problems. The R
is being able to recognize those unfamiliar feelings, the A
and RAP is acknowledging and accepting right that somebody, right,
I don't.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Feel like myself.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
And the P is being able to process through those
feelings with a licensed professional counselor or someone you know
that can actually help you. Even if you call your PCP,
your primary doctor, say I'm not feeling like myself. So
you gotta be able to recognize, accept and acknowledge those
feelings and understand that you got to protect your peace.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
At all costs.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
You got to be unapologetic right now, more so than ever,
because like you said, like we're getting hit in a
lot of different directions and people be like, oh, yeah,
we all in this together.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Not really, we might be in.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
The same storm, but wean in the same boat, right,
and whether it's socioeconomic factors, lack of access to care, like,
it's not the same, and we can't pretend that it's
the same. And I know we have people that you
know want to help and do more, but you gotta
dig deep inside yourself because even when I was going
through my suicidal ideation, I had to dig into my
(04:31):
faith in my spirituality, and I had to also talk
to people and let people in.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
So that's truly important.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
And then I tell people, you gotta remove things that
aren't serving you anymore.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
You can't just be a people pleaser, like let.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Go of the scrolling, the doom scrolling and all of
that and really focus and be present with yourself. And
sometimes therapy isn't for everyone, but doing like sound baths
or getting out walking, immersing yourself in nature, like all
of that really matters. And like for me now, if
I'm not feeling good because still go through my moments,
I'll just get up and go outside and take a walk,
(05:03):
or I'll tell people like, hey, I need a minute,
and it's okay. That's your time, that's your mind, that's
your body, that's your spirit. So you gotta really take
ownership of your mental health and wellness, because every day,
y'all is something different. Like I'm like, am I in
a movie? Like did that get scripted into something I
didn't sign up for? Because it's really scary. And then
even seeing yesterday, I know you can't believe everything you
(05:24):
see on social media, but I try to go to reputable.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Outlets, right, like the breakfast Club.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
But I saw on one of the other outlets that
the federal government is considering like canceling one billion dollars
of funding for mental health for students being able to
provide additional counselors and that sort of thing in school
systems across the nation.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
And that's really scary.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
And we know how mental health is affecting young kids
because of this little thing right here, right. And I
don't just only I don't only blame social media, but
it's a lot of pressure and these kids need the support.
So y'all, we gotta fight back and fight back in
terms of protecting your peace, get the help you need,
reaching out to organizations like Silence to Shame. There's a
(06:05):
super dope lady I met last week at they accelerate
her conference in Miami. Her name is Ashante, and she
does a lot of healing, and so she just talked
about the importance of like really immersing yourself in these
healing practices with everything that's going on right and so
I'm recommitting myself right to whatever I'm doing is giving
time for Shanti. If I got to set an appointment
(06:27):
at three o'clock during the day for Shanty to like
step away and take a moment and breathe or get
them aside to do something like you just gotta.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Do it, y'all.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
What do you advise for people to find their happy place? Right?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So I realized, like, my biggest happy place is my family, right,
I can cut off. I enjoy watching my daughter's dance.
I enjoy watching my son play soccer, I enjoy talking
to the kids cooking.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
So I found my.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Happy place, right. How do you tell somebody to find
their happy place where? You know, how do you do that?
Because it has to be a place where they just
let go and release.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
One hundred percent. But think about some of the most
joyful times. And I know every body's life wasn't the same.
To let me start with that. Some people did not
have a happy upbringing, and I'm sorry for that, right,
and if that was your truth and your journey, But
if you did have fun when you were growing up,
go back to when you were like eight years old,
like what.
Speaker 6 (07:15):
Whatever that mean?
Speaker 3 (07:19):
I mean, what do you and what did you used
to do to make you happy?
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Playing outside? That's why I love grounding so much. I
tell the dots that all the time. Take your shoes
offespecially now, I just want to take your shoes off,
taket socks off, go walking around barefoot in the grass,
just run around the yard, your there, ride your bike, Like,
think about how joy as you felt as a kid
when you simply played outside.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I was over at my cousin's house the other day
and I started playing with the Rube's cue and I
was like, yeah, I forgot how much I love this
and it had me going for like an hour. But
just find things that used to bring you joy.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Get your Bobbie Doll, Jess Herriet.
Speaker 6 (07:50):
Oh, I'm already happy and over, Joey, you gotta find
that inner child that is so important. Yeah, I'm glad
that you are actually like somebody that can speak who
has gone through the whole thoughts of suicide and everything
like that, because you had to be going through some
real things. It's this guy on social media who is
documenting like he's planning to take his own life, you know,
(08:11):
and he's documenting every day. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's on
social media. And one of my people who fixed their
mess on that's what the mess they sent this person
to me. And so he's just every day he's leading up.
So he's going around like spending time, spending his last
moments with like with his friends and his loved ones
and stuff.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
And then nobody stepped in enough.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
He's not telling them, he's not telling everybody what he's doing.
But I'm like, how is how nobody's seeing Like because
he's online, he document says, he doesn't delete it, his
lives and stuff, he posts them, right, And so he's
going to dinner with his people just talking about life,
going around the world, talking to strangers about life and
things like that. And then just last week, like he
went on his date, you know, with a guy or whatever,
(08:55):
and then you know, like he had sex with the
guy and everything, and he got online to say how
great it was. So he's just doing things that like
he thinks it would bring him to that list right
right before he go and then like he was on
Live Happy just like a couple of days ago, and
I'm like, so, are you doing this for you know,
the clout and some dick or you just you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Are you you know what I mean?
Speaker 6 (09:18):
But it's well in that case real, but this is
like his he's like thirty days countdown and it's like
he got like nine days left.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
I hope that someone is intervening, Yeah, because if it's
out there like that, then somebody in his family or
his friend circle should be intervening and having him called
nine to eight eight, which is the National Courts's life.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Yes, super important.
Speaker 6 (09:40):
And that's the thing.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
I'm not being judgmental, but we I hope he knows
that his life is important and that help is available
if he really is truly hurting that bad, because all
he's doing is putting band aids over the situation and
what's going on, or he's happy moments could just be
band aids if he's really in crisis.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
Put the phone down, though, Like, how are you documenting
something that is so that's leading to.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Sound like help with me, you know it? So I
want to ask you this bout suicide.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Like sometimes I'm sure you're familiar with the mail robins
let them theory, right, which is basically, let people make
their own choices whatever they want to do. So sometimes
you hear adults complaining, you know, nothing is ever going
right for them. They all they're always telling you, you know,
about all the bad that's happening in their world. They
talk to you about wanting to commit suicide, and you
strangely start to understand where they where they're where they're
(10:29):
coming from. Oh you know, uh, and you realize encouraging
them to get help isn't working. So do you just
let those people make their own choices?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Like that's a that's a really great question.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
It's a tough question at the same time, you know
the thing about it, the reason why with silence of shame,
we try to provide as many resources as possible. But
you can't make someone do something right that they don't
want to do. But you can try to be a
positive influence in their lives. And so I've talked to
people you know who have been contemplating, and I shared
my story. That's why I storytelling is so important and
(11:01):
people have to speak up and share their stories around it.
I don't think you just kind of like relinquish everything
and let it go, but you try to be there
for them and keep encouraging them as much as possible
and putting resources in front of them and showing them
how other people have survived, because you know, the last
thing you want to do is kind of wash your
hands of it, and then you know a week or
(11:22):
two later or something happened.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
But then, yes, you're right, But then we also got
to protect.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Our people, so you do it to the extent to
your point that you are kind of protecting your peace
because again, you know, people have choices, right, God gave
man and woman choice, so you can only do so much.
But and then you know faith comes into play. You know,
I'm a woman of faith, and so I'll continue to
pray for that person. So yeah, do what you can
(11:48):
as much as possible, put the resources in front of them,
and you know.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Let's hope and pray for the best. But a lot of.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
Times when people are in crisis, they don't know how
to get the help right, or they need somebody to say, hey,
I'll go to the with you, or I'll help y'all walk.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
With you through this process. And you can only do
what you can do.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
And you were right.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
So Trump administration did discontinue one billion dollars in school
mental health grants, and the grants supported hiring school psychologists
and counselors, and it was funded by bipartisan legislation that
was passed after the twenty twenty two massacre.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
At you you what is it? You all day? You've
all day?
Speaker 3 (12:22):
You can see a lot of schools.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Sometimes they might have one counselor for like ten schools,
and it's like the number of kids that are in crisis,
Like that's just not enough help and support. And sometimes
they're not licensed professional counselors. They just may be social workers,
which social workers are great, but oftentimes if these kids
need to learn how to get through the crisis that
they're in, they need someone that's license right and more
(12:44):
of a professional counselor. So you know, y'all got to
call your you know, your legislators, you know, talk to
your senators, talk to your congressmen and women, and you know,
we got to push back on this because we need
that funding, right, they need to keep pouring into our kids.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
And it is as you see the suicide rates going
up and depression going up or do you see it
stabilized or do you see it coming down? With all
the mental health talk and all the you know, platforms
and places where people have to go.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Now, what do you see?
Speaker 4 (13:12):
So for what I think the last study that I
saw was like from twenty twenty one or either twenty
twenty two, and suicide rates, particularly for black youth who.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Are up thirty percent.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
You know a lot of those studies, they don't happen
every single year, right, those large pool of research studies.
But there has been an end tick, I mean an
uptick rather even just two weeks ago, there was a
young man in Atlanta who happened to have gone to
Palm two years ago, and then some of my other
friend's cousins knew him.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
He took his own life.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
You know, so I still see I'm still getting texts
and comments about these young people like taking their own lives,
and so it's still prevalent.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Are they limited on social media. Is that what they're
saying it is, or they're saying lack.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Of resources in the school, or like what are they saying?
Speaker 2 (13:54):
The reason is I'm always curious because I just feel like,
you know, when we were growing up, we would we
were just as bad, but we just didn't have that
social media element where people were constantly going at it.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
I don't think we had the language, nor do I
think we had the same spaces to even express those issues.
Like my dad was dealing with all types of mental
health issues that he never talked talked to me about
until I was like forty years old.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
But we didn't know how to name it or what
to call it.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Is right, But even with all that, it's getting worse.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
It feels like it should be getting better now that
your dad could talk, and that I can talk and
be open and just could talk. But I feel like
it should be getting better, but it doesn't seem like
it is.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Well, you know, I don't know if I can pinpoint
it on one particular thing, envy, but I do think
it's still a lack of resources in some areas because
it's still in underserved communities. People know about it, but
they aren't taking that next step. That's why I'm proud
I have an announcement. So we created this PSA campaign
and it was around black men's mental health and it
was called Healing the Spaces between Us and so it
(14:49):
was a grandfather, a father, and a son and we
just got nominated for Southeast Emmy. Y'all shout out to
making Sure Jopringo, who is our creative direct there, and
Oak Films who put it together. But you know, we're
really trying to push that narrative, especially to you know,
young black men and their grandparents and their fathers. Y'all
get together and talk about it.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Nothing to be ashamed.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
About, but you got to put your cars out on
the table and talk about it.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
Yesterday in Atlanta or not yesterday the last week with
Black Children's Mental Health Day, right yep.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
So two years ago, Senator Anderson in the State of
Georgia road a resolution designating May first as Black Children's
Mental Health Day in Georgia on behalf.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Of Silence of Shame.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
We'd love to do that in New York. So maybe
we could partner with the Mental Health Alliance. Let's do
it designate May first in New York State because Again,
we're trying to just bring awareness to the problems that's
going on, so we can try to you know, cut
off those the numbers right that keep increasing for suicides.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
Absolutely, and you know this is Mental Health Awareness Month,
and there's always a lot of focus on raising awareness, right,
but how do we move past just awareness and start
like action steps for actual healing.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Again, I think you know, you got to meet people
where they're at again, you talked about the uncertain times.
Like part of our we have a mental health toolkit
on Silence, toshame dot com, a number of things that
you can do to honor the month and to push
resources out to the community. So one of the areas
we're focusing on is fire and rescue because you know,
we're seeing all these natural disasters and things happening in
the world. So we're pushing out resources that are targeted,
(16:21):
you know, to the firefighters and to people that are
out there on the front lines. Also, we did a
toolkit for the federal workers. Right, a lot of people
that have been let go. I think maybe half of
the people that got let go were due to the
cuts within this administration, and so we want to talk
directly to those that are suffering from a federal employee perspective,
(16:41):
letting them know to establish a routine, even though you
got let go get your daily routine going, even if
it's like looking for that next job, Like establish a
routine so you can protect your peace and practice mindfulness
and reach out if you need support. So we're trying
to target specific subgroups and people within the community, and
so you just gotta you gotta be forceful in a
(17:02):
way about it, so that we are unapologetic about healing
and getting help that we need, but looking at specific
groups of people because we can all say we're all
in this together. Mental health is important. We know we
got to take care of it. But when you talk
directly at a specific group of people, I think that's
when you start moving the needle and getting people to listen.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Absolutely well.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
How can people if they want to tap in and
they want to hear it or more information or they
want to help, how can they get involved?
Speaker 4 (17:27):
First of all, visit our website silences Shame dot com again.
Today is National Silence a Shame Day and we have
a campaign.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
It's May fifth.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
We just want people to get five dollars, you know,
and the five dollars. I will say, if it's too
difficult for you, please save your money, pay your rent,
you do whatever you gotta do. But if you can
spare five dollars or more, you can text the words
silence to seven oh seven O seven O. Also understand
that nine eight eight is a free resources out there.
We recently partnered with the City of Atlanta. Shout out
(17:54):
to Mayor Dickens and Courtney English who came together with us,
and we're pushing nine eight eight out to everybody that
in you know, the city of Atlanta and beyond, and
you know, just really trying to make sure that we're
pushing as many resources to the community as possible.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
So please support us. Y'all talk about it.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
Don't just you know, if you're a young person and
you listen to the Breakfast Club and you are, you know,
going through something with a friend, talk about it. Don't
just like throw some foul stuff on social media about
that person. You know, be the bigger person, you know,
be unapologetic about healing and letting go the things that
don't serve you anymore.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
Absolutely, and one more question, Shanty, there's nobody that protects
the piece more than Andre three thousand. Do you think
he's even.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Gonna come to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
What's the under old pheamony, I say he gonna be there.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
I think he's coming. I will say.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
I call both Big Andre after you know, the announcement
came out and Andrea, both of them were so excited.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Drey was really excited.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
Okay, so we're gonna we're gonna keep home alive.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Ladies and gentlemen, today is silenced, the shame day mental
health away in this month.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Of course, we appreciate you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
It's the Breakfast Club, Good Morning, wake that ass up
in the morning. The Breakfast Club
Speaker 2 (19:09):
M
The Breakfast Club News
Hosts And Creators
Charlamagne Tha God
DJ Envy
Jess Hilarious
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