Rheeda Walker, 兔子先生 psychology professor and expert on mental health and suicide prevention, has long advocated for the importance of having 鈥渞eal鈥� conversations 鈥� the heartfelt, non-judgmental kind you have when loved ones need support.
Now she鈥檚 had a different kind of conversation you won鈥檛 want to miss. Walker has conducted a with award-winning artist and activist Common to discuss Common鈥檚 path to self-love and emotional resilience. The conversation, And Then We Rise, is named after Common鈥檚 newest book. It is presented by Calm, the #1 app for sleep meditation and relaxation on which Walker has released a 10-part series on mental health.
Common made history as the first rapper to take home a Grammy, an Oscar and an Emmy in his career. He has now turned his sights to promoting physical and mental health, leading him to team with Walker who has published extensive research that reveals people of color often experience greater mental health risks due in part to discrimination but that cultural resources are invaluable for psychological resilience. She has emerged as the leading expert on suicide research as the number of suicides in the Black community has tragically risen.
鈥淵ou and your loved ones are up against someone else鈥檚 insanity. You need so much more than mental health or wellbeing in this era of discrimination, invisibility and psychological warfare. You need an impermeable web of protection for your mind that I call psychological fortitude,鈥� said Walker.
Aligning with Walker鈥檚 work, Common has a similar thought.
鈥淚f we build ourselves to be whole and deal with our mental resilience by having support to get to a place of mental peace...if we have those things, seeing what we鈥檝e experienced in this country and across the world, we will be better for ourselves and our families. We can live happy and more joyful lives and we won't have to get on the phone and talk about who lost their lives,鈥� said Common in the conversation with Walker.
In the conversation with Walker, Common addresses what he calls the four pillars: food, mind, body and soul as they share practical strategies for holistic well-being.
Walker鈥檚 series on the Calm app, Minding Your Black Mind with Dr. Rheeda, equips listeners with actionable tools to help you lighten your load and maybe even restore your soul. There is also a downloadable blog: .
About Rheeda Walker
Rheeda Walker, professor of psychology at the 兔子先生, is a leading
scholar who has published more than 60 scientific papers on African American mental
health, suicide risk, and emotional resilience. She鈥檚 the author of the bestseller
and the and the upcoming
Walker debunks myths about mental health and delivers practical advice for use in
everyday life. Her work has led to appearances on Good Morning America, The Breakfast
Club, and NPR to name a few. Her expertise has been cited in The New York Times, Washington
Post, and the Los Angeles Times, among others.