How the Church Can Help Black Women Heal – ChristianityToday.com
There are many issues of pressing concern for Black Christians in America, such as ensuring Black lives matter in our churches, reaching Black youth with the gospel, discipling the next generation of Black church leaders, battling white Christian nationalism, and identifying ways the church can address the impact of racial disparities in our country.
But a concern in my own life as a Black Christian woman is examining how the church can help Black women remove the damaging mantle of the strong Black woman. Living by this narrative can result in destructive and deadly mental and physical health outcomes for Black women. Add to these negative outcomes the stigma associated with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and the result is too many Black women hiding their true concerns for fear of stigmatization.
However, the church is uniquely positioned to help Black women seek both therapeutic and theological support as we face and address our mental health challenges.
Researchers consistently identify three characteristics associated with the strong Black woman framework: emotional restraint, independence, and self-sacrifice. Strength is a badge of honor Black women have worn for generations.
This narrative likely arose from the personal and cultural experiences of Black women (e.g., during the centuries of race-based chattel slavery that saw us maintaining the family structure while enduring abuse and torture) and the societal demands on Black women (e.g., fighting race- and gender-based discrimination during Jim Crow and aiding the civil rights movement). We embraced being strong out of fear of appearing weak.
For too many years, I embraced the ideology of the strong Black woman. She could bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan. She did not need to ask for help because she could do it allshe was a successful wife, mother, professional, ministry leader, volunteer, and friend. She possessed Black girl magic and inspired everyone in her sphere of influence. I wanted to be this strong Black woman, so I became her. Like so many of my ancestors, I wore my strength as a badge of honor.
Unfortunately, this strength narrative did not allow for the expression of my vulnerabilities or flaws. Instead, I ignored my legitimate mental health concerns in favor of presenting an image of strength to others. I believed the lie that I could not openly express my struggles with depression and anxiety. I hid my mental health challenges in an effort to maintain the faade of being a woman who had it all together.
Like me, Black women who subscribe to the strong Black woman ideology may experience acute mental health challenges. For example, a recent research study revealed that depression may manifest differently for Black women. According to the study, rather than reporting feelings of sadness and hopelessness, Black women report self-criticism, self-blame, and irritability as the hallmarks of depression.
The findings in this study align with my personal experiences. I did not believe I had the luxury, as a Black woman, of feeling sad or hopelessespecially in my public-facing lifebecause those realities speak to weakness, not strength. Consequently, I resorted to criticizing and blaming myself for the problems in my life, which only exacerbated my depression and anxiety.
Aligning my life to this ideology was killing meliterally. I sought to personify the strong Black woman at the expense of my mental and physical health. Living by the narrative of being a woman who could suppress her emotions while independently handling tasks for the benefit of others, whether at home, work, church, or in the community, was damaging and dangerous for me.
More than one doctor informed me of the importance of managing my mental health, which was having a direct impact on my physical health. Over several years of living the strong Black woman life, I received multiple diagnoses for maladies that could eventually take my life if I did not get my mental health issues under control.
In 2015 and 2016, I faced a bout of severe depression. The self-blame was constant. I just could not seem to shake off the feelings of exhaustion and defeat. I criticized myself because I had difficulty functioning normally. I put on a fake smile while I was in public and continued to serve in my church and actively participate in ministry as I kept my mental health struggles to myself. I knew there was a stigma about mental illness in many churches, and I honestly did not know how my church family would react if they found out I was struggling with depression and suicidal ideation.
One day in 2016, when someone at church asked me how I was doing, I did not want to be strong anymore. I responded, Im struggling with depression. It was not easy to admit I was struggling, but I was tired of faking itI was tired of trying to appear to be something I was not. I was not okay, and I realized that was okay.
To my surprise, my honesty and vulnerability that day opened the door to my healing. Heres why: My church family did not shame or shun meinstead, they embraced and supported me when I needed them most. My pastor and elders rallied around me and encouraged me to seek both spiritual and psychological assistance. I shudder to think what might have happened if I had not received their love and support.
By letting me take off my strong Black woman cape, my church family gave me a chance to live, heal, and see my value beyond an unrealistic and unhealthy pursuit of strength. And they continue to do so when I face setbacks in my mental health journey.
I believe churches, with proper training and resources, can be a source of community and support for Black womenand all womenwho need to remove the mantle of strength and replace it with the blessing of empathy and compassion.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), each year, 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness, and 1 in 20 adults experience serious mental illness. These statistics reveal a startling realityour churches are most likely filled with people who are struggling with mental illness. Even as we profess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we still face anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other psychological challenges because we live in a fallen world.
I want to offer a few ways churches can help Black women who are struggling with mental health issues resulting from subscribing to the strong Black woman narrative.
1. Teach and preach about the reality of mental health issuesthat it is okay to not be okay.
The Bible is replete with examples of people facing mental health challenges:
These examples offer an important reminder: Our spirits are sometimes disturbed and devastated by the situations we face because we live in a sin-filled world. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and other challenges in the lives of biblical characters mirrors the reality of these challenges in our modern-day society and churches.
By normalizing mental health concerns, churches will allow Black women to feel less isolated and more comfortable acknowledging their own struggles.
2. Emphasize community as essential to the Christian life.
In Genesis 2:18 and Romans 12:45, we learn about the importance of community. God created us for communityto live life together, not in isolation. If a woman knows she can rely on her church community to stand in the gap for her when shes struggling, then she will be better able to address her mental health concerns.
By letting me honestly express my mental health struggles and showing me it is okay to not be okay, my church family saved my life. I did not feel so alone. Churches can stand in the gap for those who may not be able to pray, seek, or worship God for themselves. Churches have an opportunity to literally save lives.
3. Offer empathy and compassion to Black women who share about their mental health challenges.
The church played a major role in my healing process by allowing me to express my vulnerabilities and by offering me empathy and compassion. I believe the church can serve as an important part of the healing process for so many of my sisters who also need to refuse to play into the strong Black woman narrative.
One way church leaders can show empathy and compassion is by being open about their own mental health issues. Another way is by readily embracing, rather than shunning, a woman who shares her mental health concerns. Churches can provide a safe place for women to remove their superhero capes by offering encouragement and support.
4. Invest time and resources into supporting women who are facing mental health challenges.
Finally, churches can offer local and online psychological resources to its members. I am not suggesting that churches must take on the responsibility of providing mental health services; however, churches can equip themselves to readily offer referrals and lists of resources to members who are facing mental health challenges.
Churches with ministry capacity and financial resources can offer training to their leadersboth ministerial and administrativeon the basics of mental health. Furthermore, those leaders who provide spiritual counseling to church members should receive more extensive training on recognizing mental health concerns. This investment could save lives.
Churches are uniquely positioned to give Black women permission to let go of the strong Black woman narrative and to exchange it for the reality that its okay to not be okay. Through community, empathy, and compassion, the church can help women find true healing and identity in Christ.
T. K. Floyd Foutz is an attorney turned Bible teacher. In addition to mentoring and speaking, she teaches Bible studies online and at her local church in San Antonio.
Read more:
How the Church Can Help Black Women Heal - ChristianityToday.com
- Police Seeking Thief Who Stole Pride, Black Lives Matter Flags From Danville Inn - Caledonian Record - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Renowned photographer Misan Harriman on Black Lives Matter, Gaza and finding hope in protest - Big Issue - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- This Day in History Hundreds of Black Lives Matter protestors occupied I-40 bridge - Action News 5 - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Pepper-balls vs. tear gas: How 2020's Black Lives Matter protest in Spokane compares to the immigration demonstration of 2025 - The Spokesman-Review - June 18th, 2025 [June 18th, 2025]
- Now and then: How Trump's response to LA riots has changed from 2020 Black Lives Matter and Antifa - Fox News - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Community comes together to repaint Black Lives Matter mural - The Pajaronian - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- When the looting starts, the shooting starts: Trump echoes notorious Black Lives Matter quote over LA anti-ICE demos - The Independent - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Understanding the History of Torture in America - Black Lives Matter - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Organizers look back to 2020 when 1,000 people marched in Black Lives Matter protest in Green Bay - Green Bay Press-Gazette - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter Plaza 5 Years Later - The Washington Informer - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter was an outbreak of global hysteria - Spiked - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- What I learned from the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter uprising - The Guardian - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Five Years of Black Lives Matter: Top conspiracy theories about the death of George Floyd - Times of India - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter wasnt interested in truth - Spiked - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- I walked across the south of America in a Black Lives Matter shirt this is what happened - London Evening Standard - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Storyville: White Man Walking review the man who marched 1,500 miles with a Black Lives Matter sign - The Guardian - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Five years on from Black Lives Matter, has the UK made progress on ethnic equalities? - The Guardian - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- 'Coming from a place of accountability' - How the Black Lives Matter movement inspired analyst and ex-USMNT star Taylor Twellman to earn a degree 20... - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Five years of virtue signalling: the failure of Black Lives Matter - The Telegraph - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Was the Black Lives Matter rebellion all for nothing? It may feel like that, but I have seen reasons for hope - The Guardian - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Highland Park to restore Black Lives Matter mural - Central New Jersey News - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter street murals stand as an enduring reminder of protests against racism - Lynchburg News and Advance - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- 'Black lives matter': Demonstrators march in Southeast Portland, paying tribute to George Floyd, 5 years after his murder - KGW - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- History Today: How George Floyds killing in US gave rise to Black Lives Matter movement - Firstpost - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Free Palestine Replaces Black Lives Matter as the Cause of the Activist Class - The New York Sun - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- The far-right's resurgence was only a matter of time after Black Lives Matter - Big Issue - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Inside the Big Issue: The rise and fall of Black Lives Matter - Big Issue - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Five Years After the Murder of George Floyd, New Survey Measures Views on Race, Policing and Black Lives Matter - Good Faith Media - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Backlash: The Murder of George Floyd TV review tracing the transatlantic spread of Black Lives Matter - Financial Times - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Minneapolis still broken, divided and suffering 5 years after George Floyd death: Black Lives Matter was never here - New York Post - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter: Will Donald Trump pardon Derek Chauvin, convicted of killing George Floyd? What we kn - Times of India - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- BC teacher who referred to Black Lives Matter protesters as 'animals' gets reprimanded - Infotel.ca - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Teachers Are Building the Future. Trump Is Tearing It Down. - Black Lives Matter - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Megyn Kelly criticizes Met Gala's Tailoring Black Style theme: "It was basically Black Lives Matter at the Met" - Media Matters - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter Plaza's end like its beginning is a barometer of the times - Roanoke Times - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Seattle Parks working on plan for new memorial in Cal Anderson marking CHOP and the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests UPDATE - CHS Capitol Hill... - April 3rd, 2025 [April 3rd, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter Plaza's end like its beginning is a barometer of the times - Ottumwa Courier - April 3rd, 2025 [April 3rd, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter Plaza's end like its beginning is a barometer of the times - southernminn.com - April 3rd, 2025 [April 3rd, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter Plaza's end like its beginning is a barometer of the times - thederrick.com - April 3rd, 2025 [April 3rd, 2025]
- D.C.'s Black Lives Matter mural will be erased. Look back at the iconic street painting - NPR - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- D.C. Mayor Orders Removal of Black Lives Matter Mural She Commissioned After House GOP Threatens to Do It for Her - PEOPLE - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Reconstruction of D.C.s Black Lives Matter Plaza to begin next week - Washington Times - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Washington, DC, to remove 'Black Lives Matter' painting from street near White House, mayor says - The Associated Press - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Bigger fish to fry: Why DC is making changes to Black Lives Matter Plaza painting - WTOP - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Washington mayor says Black Lives Matter Plaza near White House to be redesigned - Reuters - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter Plaza to be redesigned as part of new DC mural project - FOX 5 DC - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia leads attack on Black Lives Matter Plaza. What we know - Online Athens - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Suggests Black Lives Matter Plaza Will Be Painted Over - The New York Times - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC mayor to remove Black Lives Matter Plaza amid pressure from White House - NBC Washington - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Once declared 'permanent,' Washington, D.C.'s Black Lives Matter Plaza will soon be painted over - Fast Company - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Opinion | D.C. can respect Black Lives Matter without street art - The Washington Post - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC Mayor suggests city will paint over Black Lives Matter Plaza near White House - The Hill - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- D.C. mayor to ditch Black Lives Matter mural, street name to avoid scrum with GOP on Capitol Hill - Washington Times - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter Mural near White House will be replaced with a new mural as part of DCs America 250 mural project - PoPville - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - KCBY.com 11 - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - WGME - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - NTV - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - KRCR - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - WRGB - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - WPEC - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - WEAR - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - FoxReno.com - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - krcgtv.com - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - Dayton 24/7 Now - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- DC crews to begin 'reconstruction' of Black Lives Matter Plaza - ktvo.com - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Federal judge inclined to side with USPS over seized Black Lives Matter merch - Courthouse News Service - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- Analysis: Whatever happened to Black Lives Matter? - Church Times - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- How old was Trayvon Martin when he died? A look back at the teen's death that sparked Black Lives Matter Movement - Soap Central - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- On Trayvon Martins 30th Birthday, Black Lives Still Matter - Word In Black - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action in Olympia School District from Feb. 3-7 - The Jolt News - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Trump could undo everything the UK learnt from Black Lives Matter - inews - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Posters with Black Lives Matter term to be voted on by Lakeville school board - CBS News - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Lakeville school board to vote Tuesday on use of "Black Lives Matter" posters - CBS News - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Art by African Americans: From the Protest of the 60's to the Age of Black Lives Matter - TAPinto.net - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Community continues to demand answers concerning Rayvon Shahid during Black Lives Matter protests - Flint Courier News - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter protests police shooting of 17-year-old in Flint - WJRT - November 24th, 2024 [November 24th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter Flint hosts three-day protest for death of 17-year-old Rayvon Shahid - WEYI - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Davis, Black Lives Matter say police discipline bill is being rushed - WVPE Public Media - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Revealed: Starmer called for an export ban on police gear to Trump during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2 - Daily Mail - November 14th, 2024 [November 14th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter activist to vote for Donald Trump: 'I definitely would not be supporting Kamala Harris' - Fox News - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]