I found very few resources that directly address the specific topic of Black families having open, informed conversations that empower young people and strengthen family relationships. I searched Google and Galileo, a library portal that provides access to peer-reviewed scholarly journals, for articles on how Black families are changing the narrative around mental health and reshaping stigma, cultural expectations, and mistrust of healthcare systems.
As a licensed social worker, I find the limited information concerning. I am left asking: Is it that we are not having these conversations, or are we having them, but they’re just not being written about?
What I Found
I found sources examining how and why these conversations are missing, consequences, and the necessity for these discussions. Likewise, I located several articles on the reasons for mistrust and the structural improvements necessary to build trust.
I eventually located a relevant source on conversations redefining mental health. However, it was accessible only through a subscription and unavailable through Galileo. Another source was over 10 years old. Fortunately, I found more information on sexual health conversations. These stories included brief accounts of mental health discussions.
Let’s Talk About Mental Health
Dani McClain’s 2026 The Nation article, “Giving Black Youth a Reason to Live,” in Galileo, discusses the mental health crisis among Black youth.
According to the article, one Cincinnati mom, who provided mental health and sexual health support and education to youth, used the same harm-reduction approach with her son.
An article in the American Journal of Qualitative Research focusing on father-daughter sexual health conversations briefly discussed mental health communication.
Some girls shared that talks about mental health to address problems they were having, like depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem, went well. Unfortunately, other daughters felt their dads didn’t understand. Girls talked about the expectations of living up to the “strong black woman” stereotype and having to depend on themselves: “… It’s normal to deal, you know, to have lots of stresses.”
Let’s Talk About Sex
Sexual health conversations with parents depend on the parent-to-child gender. Here is what some of these conversations look like:
Conversations with Mom
Girls
Mother-daughter conversations include several sexual health topics, such as defining sexual intercourse, pregnancy prevention, life changes caused by pregnancy, waiting until marriage, STDs, the right time to have sex, and peer opinions on having sex.
Boys
Although mothers also discuss condom use with their daughters, mothers are more likely to discuss condom use with their sons.
Conversations with Dad
Girls
Fathers are talking about their daughters’ past encounters, what healthy relationships look like, and the dangers of partners being controlling or verbally abusive. Discussions include the touchy-feely stuff, like touching, kissing, and intercourse. Some father-daughter conversations even included menstruation and female development. Comments on clothing choices arose in some families only when the father felt the outing warranted it, while others were more generous with advice, telling their girls to dress moderately.
Boys
Fathers shared that they discuss sex with their sons as they would want someone to talk to them. They are open and honest, discussing getting a girl pregnant, becoming a father too early, and telling sons to wear protection if they are going to have sex.
Conversations with Both Parents
Girls
Discussions highlight the importance of having a partner who respects you and preventing motherhood, with some parents focusing on contraception and abortion.
Boys
That same Cincinnati mom (in McClain’s 2026 article) initiated the sex conversation by leaving condoms on her son’s desk after noticing he was becoming interested in girls. She and her husband followed up and invited the young man to ask questions.
What’s Next
Over 80 % of African American suicides are by males. Many young black women feel the need to hide mental health symptoms and live up to the “strong black woman” stereotype. African American youth and young adults have disproportionate rates of sexually transmitted infections. Conversations that remove stigma, reshape cultural expectations, and explore ways to access culturally competent healthcare are necessary to empower youth and strengthen families.
Resources
Here are some culturally competent resources to help you have those needed conversations and address mental health and sexual health wellness:
- Better Generations, Therapy & Family Services – Black-owned therapy practice, focusing on helping individuals, couples, and families address generational patterns, heal from past experiences, and strengthen long-term mental wellness.
- Ascensions Psychological and Community Services – Nonprofit behavioral health organization in Southeast DC dedicated to improving children’s outcomes by promoting parental and partner relationships, emotional wellness, healthy relationships, and community stability.
- Greater Washington Urban League Family Wellness Center – Family-centered, culturally responsive mental health services and wellness programming.
- Revolutionary Wellness – A culturally responsive psychotherapy practice offering therapy for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families, along with community wellness programs designed to support emotional health.
- Therapy For Black Women LLC – Provides counseling for Black women, teens, and couples, incorporating culturally affirming approaches that address relationships, identity, and emotional well-being.
- DC Department of Behavioral Health Children, Youth and Family Services – Searchable directory of community mental health and substance use providers serving DC residents, making it easier to find counseling, treatment, and recovery services.
- Grassroots Health – A DC nonprofit that partners with schools and families to provide youth-friendly education on mental health, nutrition, and sexual health while connecting families to trusted community resources.
For more resources, check out my article, The Conversation That Can’t Wait: How Parents Can Talk to Teens About Mental Health and Healthy Relationships.
Your Turn
Are we having these conversations, and they’re just not being written about? This is your chance to change the narrative about changing the narrative. Let us know what conversations you and your family are having about mental health, sexual health, and replacing the mistrust of healthcare systems with strategies that lead to culturally competent and empathetic care.
LaShonda Tucker
LaShonda Tucker is a freelance writer, poet, and spoken word artist in Atlanta. When she isn't writing, she enjoys playing her violin. She earned her master's degrees from the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University, and her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Michigan.
