The United Nations has declared Oct. 10 Mental Health Awareness Day, so we’re giving a nod to Nana-Ama Danquah.
She is the author of "Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman’s Journey Through Depression." First published in 1998, the book was hailed as groundbreaking work.
It began discussions about mental health for women of color at a time when that was far from the case. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. re-released the book on its 25th anniversary. Danquah is a native of Ghana.
The Conversation talked with her about the book's relevance today.
"I think that a lot has shifted in terms of people's ability to even say it, to say depression, to say therapy, to say bipolar. But I also think that not enough has shifted because beyond just saying it, we also have to understand it. We have to understand how to exist with it, for those of us who experience it, and we have to understand how to be empathetic to it, for those of us who know and love people who experience it," Danquah said.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Oct. 10, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
