Yesterday was National Mental Health Day, and in honor of it, DaBaby did his part for his Charlotte community. He, alongside Mental Health America of Central Carolinas (MHACC), hosted the first-ever youth town hall to raise awareness about mental health issues among students. During this town hall, DaBaby opened up about his relatively new experience with mental health and how important it is to check on your loved ones.
On Nov. 3, 2020, DaBaby’s older brother, Glen Johnson, committed suicide. Earlier that day, Johnson posted to social media a very worrisome video in his car where he was crying and screaming while holding a gun. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was called to the scene because of a reported shooting, and when they arrived, he was immediately transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was only 34. DaBaby spoke about his death in the intro of his 2019 Kirk album: “My brother be thinkin’ that we don’t love him and let him struggle like we ain’t family / Like I won’t give up all I got to see you happy”
DaBaby also dropped a My Brother’s Keeper (Long Live G) mixtape in 2020 in memory of his brother. During the town hall, he spoke about how he thinks about his brother daily and how his suicide is still hard for him. He also gave out a Youth Mental Health 101 Resource Guide that he co-authored with MHACC to Charlotte youth, an essential tool covering mental well-being education and self-care strategies.
This town hall and fireside chat are the first of many initiatives he plans to do with DaBaby Cares, a dedicated platform for mental health awareness. They have a year-long partnership with MHACC. They also have goals to take DaBaby Cares outside of Charlotte, and to make it a nationwide platform. The goal of DaBaby Cares is to raise awareness, dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health, and provide essential resources for both youth and adults facing mental health challenges.
To access the mental health toolkit, visit dababycares.com.
Visit Mental Health America of Central Carolinas at mhaofcc.org.
