Dior Vargas, a self-described Latina feminist, wants to remind the public that mental health issues are “not a white person’s disease” and that people of any race can have mental illness.
On her website, she states that “There are tons of articles that list people with depression and other mental illnesses but you rarely see someone who looks like you.”
“We need to change the way this is represented.”
“This is not something to be ashamed about.”
“We need to confront and end the stigma.”
She encourages people of colour to submit photos of themselves holding a sign that says who they are and what mental illness they have.
“I’ve been an activist for years but I decided that I wanted to focus on mental health/illness because it’s a topic that needs to be addressed and it’s something that I live with every single day,” she told MTV News.
“I wanted to create a space where people could submit photos of themselves and share their stories,” she continued.
“I wanted to create a resource where people of color could go to for hope and a sense of community.”
