Meet Kesha Perkins of BIPOC Mental Health Collective

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kesha Perkins.

Kesha, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Collective was born out of a petition initiative for BIPOC therapeutic representation at Boston University. Currently, BIPOCMHC serves as a safe, communal space for racial minority students to share mental health resources and experiences. Our website features themed resources, current mental health events (BU + beyond), and blog posts! Instagram (@bipocmhc) is more focused on organizational collaboration and mental health guides.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The process of creating our mission was very smooth because those involved agreed that we would provide BIPOC students with relevant mental health tools. Because we started our work in summer 2020, we were already operating with COVID-19 in mind; as a result, all of the Collective materials and programming reflect online accessibility and lifestyle flexibility. However, as a new Collective, we of course, are discovering and navigating our roles, creating new themes and activities, and figuring out how to take care of ourselves while trying to care for others.

Please tell us about BIPOC Mental Health Collective.
BIPOC Mental Health Collective provides an online, communal space for racial minority students to share mental health resources and experiences. We establish this space in three ways. First, our website features mental health resources and blog posts based on themed weeks, e.g. Indigenous People’s Day, Hispanic Heritage Month, Black Girl Magic, etc. Second, our Instagram promotes toolkits that help people navigate their emotions (feeling overwhelmed) and conversation guides on difficult topics (not wanting to hang out during COVID-19). Third, we partner with other Boston University campus organizations about mental health and promote Boston area events as well.

We are very proud that we have created a space for racial minorities to discuss mental health. This is what sets us apart, especially in relation with Boston University, because we are not solely relying on one-size-fits-all mental health practices. We acknowledge that everyone heals differently and we are trying to provide versatile tools for this purpose.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I would not call it luck, but the current social climate of America has definitely played a role in our organization. The Collective started as a petition for Boston University to hire BIPOC therapists because at the time, America was (and still is) dealing with simultaneous events: systemic racism and COVID-19. This social pressure cooker motivated us to call on BU for proper therapeutic representation for its racial minority students. At the same time, students were asking for mental health resources in the meantime, so we decided to create an online platform for us to connect and support one another.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bipocmhc.wordpress.com/
• Email: bipocmhc@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/bipocmhc?igshid=1iq7n1vi8cugj

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