Sherdell Baker is determined to make the most of her reign as Miss Black Indiana USA 2022, like using her platform to raise awareness about mental health habits in the Black community.
Beginning Tuesday, April 19, Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana is excited to let Sherdell takeover our social media channels (Facebook & Instagram) to share her message and engage with our community.
The New Haven High School graduate will represent the state this summer at the Miss Black USA pageant. She is a junior at Hampton University and is the Founder & CEO of King’s Mindset Initiative, an organization dedicated to creating a safe space for young Black Men to come together and discuss their mental health disparities.
Founded nearly a year into the pandemic, the King’s Mindset Initiative offers a mental health and lifestyle resource for African American men. You can visit King’s Mindset Initiative’s Instragram page here.
Sherdell initially contacted Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana because although she is attending university in Virginia, she still cares deeply about the mental health of her community in Indiana. There are barriers to mental wellness that young Black men face no matter where they live.
“Some of the things that stand in the way of African American men and mental wellness is the societal notion of not being able to be expressive or it’s considered to be not masculine if you are expressing your options. I would also say that there’s constant internalizing that shouldn’t have to happen.”
Sherdell says she’s excited to share her point of view and to remind people who need a helping hand just how amazing they are.
“We all are kings and queens in our own way and what better time than now to show it :)”
Starting on April 19, be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook (www.facebook.com/mhaallencounty/) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/mhanortheastindiana/) accounts to hear more from Sherdell about her advocacy efforts.