Maybelline Sponsors NAMI-NYC Black Minds Matter Support Groups

New York, NY, February 24, 2023–In celebration of Black History Month, Maybelline sponsored NAMI-NYC’s free, community based Black Minds Matter support groups. 

“Thank you to Maybelline for this generous donation, which will help sustain our peer-led, peer-run Black Minds Matter support groups this year,” shared Lynnette Verges, NAMI-NYC’s Chief Operating Officer. Among its free programs, NAMI-NYC has nearly 40 support groups for families and individuals affected by mental health challenges, including our Black Minds Matter and Black Minds Matter Family and Friends group.   

In response to inequities exacerbated by the pandemic and social injustices, such as the murder of George Floyd and rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, NAMI-NYC innovated culturally responsive programs, including Black Minds Matter Family & Friends, AAPI, and LGBTQ+ support groups as well as its mental health programs in Spanish. One support group facilitator shared, “As a Black woman, I have seen the intersection of race, gender, and mental health. There are certain experiences and nuances that happen as a Black person in America. And I don’t have to explain that to other members of the group.” 

Black Minds Matter is for adults who identify as Black and are living with any mental health challenge. This peer group meets virtually on the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month, 6 to 7:30pm ET. Black Minds Matter Family & Friends is for adults who identify as Black and have a loved one with any mental health challenge. This Family & Friends group meets virtually on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month, 8 to 9:30pm ET. 

Maybelline’s BRAVE TOGETHER campaign is a global initiative to support everyone experiencing anxiety and depression. Maybelline has teamed up with mental health experts to create support tools and help navigate everything from spotting the signs to how to practice self-care to exploring resources.