‘Nothing occurs in a vacuum.’ 3/20 Coalition plans ‘teach-ins’ to educate about race, mental health
An activist group formed after a white State College police officer fatally shot a Black resident last year plans to gather each of the remaining Sundays in July to educate about race and mental health during Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.
The 3/20 Coalition scheduled each “teach-in” to begin about 6 p.m. at the South Allen Street Gates. Each gathering is set to be themed and continue for three hours and 20 minutes.
Osaze Osagie, 29, was fatally shot by a borough police officer who attempted to fulfill a mental health warrant on March 20, 2019.
“The natural inclination of the public, for convenience sake, was to just say, ‘Look, Osaze had mental health issues. This is a mental health thing. This has nothing to do with policing. This has nothing to do with race,’ ” 3/20 Coalition founding member Melanie Morrison said Thursday. “The important thing is to say nothing occurs in a vacuum. All of these things were in play and are in play in society today. We can’t separate them. We need to work on each aspect, and when we do that, it can only be positive.”
Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna ruled in May 2019 that the shooting was justified, after a monthlong state police investigation. The officer was in a life-or-death situation when Osagie charged at him in a narrow hallway with a knife, Cantorna found.
Some community members argued race played a role in the shooting — something Cantorna and the state police have repeatedly rejected.
Cantorna and police have instead proclaimed that the mental health system is what “failed” Osagie, who was hospitalized for mental health treatment at least six times.
Osagie’s death spurred the creation of a mental health task force jointly established by Centre County and State College. The task force was tasked with examining the continuum of mental health services in the county.
The group is scheduled to release a report and recommendations in the fall.
The effect of racism and racial trauma on mental health and disparities in access to mental health treatment cannot be ignored, National Alliance on Mental Illness CEO Daniel Gillison Jr. said in a statement.
“While there is much we need to do to address racism in our country, we must not forget the importance of mental health as we do so,” he said. “Racism is a public health crisis.”
If you go
What: Summer Sundays for Black Lives
When: 6 p.m. Sundays
Where: Allen Street Gates
Themes:
- July 12: Black Mental Health Awareness Month
- July 19: Remembering Maafa
- July 26: Black Women and Trans Lives Matter
Organizers encourage participants to bring face masks, chalk, walking shoes, water and signs.