CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On World Mental Health Day, Charlotte native DaBaby made a surprise appearance at West Charlotte High School to offer his DaBaby Cares Mental Health 101 Toolkit to students.
The rally, organized by the Mental Health Alliance of Central Carolinas (MHA), was attended by over 700 students in an effort to promote mental health awareness among youth.
MHA developed the toolkit in partnership with The Glenn Johnson for Mental Health initiative, which was inspired by DaBaby's vision to honor his late brother, who lost his life to suicide in 2020.
DaBaby spoke about the initiative in an Instagram post following its launch, saying:
"I know from experience that the majority of mental health issues come from unchecked childhood trauma & in honor of my brother, my nieces & nephew, and anybody who done lost a loved one to suicide I wanted to utilize my platform to provide the resources and create a safe space where it’s REALLY NEEDED for the ones struggling with mental health."
The initiative is dedicated to fostering safe spaces for youth, as well as providing access to vital mental health resources and real-time support.
"The need for mental health awareness and education has never been greater," Ayo Marie Johnson, Executive Director of MHA, said. "Through the Dababy Cares Mental Health 101 Toolkit, we are empowering students and their families to identify when support is needed. Our community needs to know they are not alone and that resources are available to help."
Find more information and resources at dababycares.com.
If you or a loved one are facing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is help readily available. You can call Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat with them online. There are also resources in North Carolina available here and in South Carolina available here.