Photo By: Christopher Doomes, Managing Editor of Visual of Media

By: Dorayn Murphy, Staff Writer

Chicago rapper G Herbo is noted as “an acclaimed rapper and philanthropist” (WGNTV Chicago). Herbo continued outreach as an advocate for mental health as he visited Morehouse College for the Black Men’s Mental Health Pre-Symposium Conversation, hosted by The Black Men’s Research Institute (BMRI).

Dr. Walter Kimbrough, director of the BMRI, invited  Herbo to discuss  mental health and its impact on daily life. The Black Men’s Research Institute was founded in January 2022 and funded by a four-year, $1.2 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. BMRI strives to uncover economic, social, cultural, and personal outcomes of issues affecting Black men.

Kimbrough asked about the traumatic experiences from his childhood affiliated with the streets of Chicago.  

“I feel like my innocence was taken from me at an early age.”  Herbo replied. “I always had the mental capacity to try to find the next best option… so when they kicked me off the basketball team I just started rapping.”

Confronting the struggles of Chicago dramatically impacted his mental health in his youth. “Since I was 15 years old, I’ve been afraid for my life,”  Herbo told his lawyers when facing charges for carrying a firearm. 

One of Herbo’s lawyers referred him to therapy where he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“I walk around every day like I’m normal. I still smile after I’ve been through things, traumatic situations, I get up the next day and try to function,” Herbo said. 

Herbo stated he continues to live each day to the fullest instead of allowing his mental illness to dictate his lifestyle. “I’ve always been a fighter, so I just wake up and try to be stronger than I was the day before.”

Herbo said therapy is his advantage when learning to navigate mental struggles. “It was the first time I ever met somebody I can open up to with an unbiased opinion,” Herbo said. The rapper gave more insight on how talking to someone supported his growth within different components of his life such as fatherhood, leadership, and his artistry.

Students representing all institutions of the AUCC were present searching for advice on mental health and the impact men’s mental health has on the Black community. 

“How does the negligence of men’s mental health affect their social life and day-to-day life,” said Jazzy, Clark Atlanta Architectural Engineering Major from Los Angeles

“A lot of times men don’t know how to talk to women because of things that they’ve been through…but at the end of the day you can’t do that because everybody is different, everybody think(s) different and everybody was brought up in a different way,” Herbo said. 

Kimbrough said the BMRI has one more lecture event to look forward to and the end of the year symposium. He said more details will be available soon. 

Copy Edited by: Auzzy Byrdsell and Marlon “MJ” Scott