Atlanta, Georgia— The month of May is widely recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month and for Angel Barnwell, ending the stigma surrounding mental illness in the black community is a deeply personal cause.
The business manager for Slutty Vegan aspired to commemorate the great strides marginalized communities are making towards addressing this pandemic within a pandemic. Dozens of attendees joined Barnwell at Bar Vegan for the launch of her wellness empire, Smile Heaux, engaging in a transformational event featuring roundtable conversations about mental health.
We all experience some form of mental health conditions, including our emotional, psychological, and social well-being— it affects how we feel, think, and act. However, with proper treatment, people can realize their full potential, cope with the stresses of life, work productively, and meaningfully contribute to their community.
Through Angel’s experiences, she was able to understand that she was fortunate to have access to mental health resources, and oftentimes at her convenience. With this realization, she began creating a pipeline for individuals within minority communities, so they too could gain access to quality mental health education and care that would otherwise be deemed as inaccessible.
Supporters & Speakers Attend Smile Heaux Launch Party at Bar Vegan in Atlanta, GA on May 22, 2022. Photographed by JoJo Bryant (@jojo_thephotographer)
Smile Heaux was birthed out of the familiar idiom “I don’t look like what I’ve been through”. The act of smiling releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides to help fight off stress, yet it is only the first step towards healing.
Barnwell’s quirky lifestyle brand is dedicated to eradicating stigmas around mental health. The advocate takes pride in reminding people daily to break generational curses and reframe their thinking around mental health practices.
