Not everyone views libraries as a health facility, but Black Girl Health Foundation sees the connection.

“Developing healthy minds – that’s what libraries do,” said Executive Director Porcha Johnson.

Since 2020, Black Girl Health Foundation and Dauphin County Library System have partnered in the wildly successful Minds Matter program. The sessions provide Black women with the space to congregate, celebrate, and learn the pathways to mental and physical health from experts in their fields.

Black Girl Health Foundation is the nonprofit arm of Black Girl Health, founded by Johnson in Harrisburg. Minds Matter emerged through support from the National Library of Medicine, Black Girl Health Foundation’s largest funder, and the burgeoning momentum of mental health as a critical topic for Black women.

“People are getting more vocal about mental health issues and getting support for their challenges,” said Johnson. “They are getting away from it being a closed-door thing that nobody talks about.”

The pandemic, which struck only weeks after the first Minds Matter programming launch, heightened the focus on the topic, she said.

“Especially among the Black community and women and the economically disadvantaged, already facing issues disproportionately affecting their health,” Johnson said.

Black Girl Health Foundation presents Minds Matter in libraries nationwide. Dauphin County Library System is proud to be the first host and partner.

“Partnering with us enables Black Girl Health Foundation to get a stronger reach within the Harrisburg community in terms of promoting it to our members and using The Library’s resources,” said The Library’s Adult Programming and Outreach Coordinator, Ashley Famularo. “People know to come to us for health literacy, so being able to partner with them and bring their programs to us is just as beneficial to us in this partnership.

The January 22 Minds Matter virtual program offers interactive sessions including:

·       Glow & Go Yoga Retreat: A yoga session focusing on healing naturally, with information on the benefits of yoga.

·       Treat Your Mind: Achieving a healthy mental state through nutrition for cognitive health, balancing hormones, and reducing stress.

·       Coping with Workplace Stress: A panel discussion on workplace stress, diversity and racial discrimination, and coping mechanisms.

·       Power Moves: Body movement to reduce stress and improve strength and flexibility.

·       Young Minds Do Cook: A workshop for African American girls on reducing stress through cooking and eating nutritious foods.

For its part, Black Girl Health Foundation is “so, so, so happy to continue this partnership with Dauphin County Library System,” said Johnson.

 “It really is the perfect partnership,’’ she said. “The Library aligns with our mission and our values, and to be able to continually bring this to their members and the residents in our community is absolutely a blessing.”

By working with The Library, Black Girl Health Foundation links with stakeholders in the community, Johnson said.

“The members they already have are the people we want to reach, the people going there every day from all walks of life, from young to older,’’ Johnson said. “[The Library] is a safe place where people go to have peace of mind and to educate themselves.”

And what does Black Girl Health Foundation offer The Library?

“Black Girl Health Foundation is offering a platform that allows The Library to connect with a diverse group of people,” Johnson notes. “People want to see that The Library understands what they’re going through and wants to be a part of it, provide help, and be a resource.”

In a city as diverse as Harrisburg, Johnson adds, it’s important for the region “to see The Library as a place that understands the plight of African American women when it comes to health and mental health and wants to be of service and wants to be a resource.”

A past Minds Matter session that stands out in Famularo’s mind was presented by a financial adviser discussing the ties between finances and mental health.

“That was eye-opening,” she said. “I hadn’t thought about how much your mental health, and your physical health, is affected by your finances. I found that really empowering.”

The introduction of Minds Matter only months before the pandemic struck and communities nationwide rose up against police brutality and to call for racial justice made it a timely and evergreen program.

“Minds Matter is here to stay, because mental health is just as important as everything else,” said Johnson. “There are many chronic illnesses affecting the African American community, and mental illness is a chronic illness, as well. Now, it’s being seen in the same way and given all the importance of these other issues.”

In this atmosphere, libraries nationwide are stepping up their efforts to connect with communities and bridge information gaps, Johnson said. The Harrisburg edition of Minds Matter brings together The Black Girl Health Foundation and The Library, plus numerous community organizations and business backers, sharing the vision of a healthier community through awareness.

“Here we are for the third time, and I hope we can continue this partnership every single year because our community needs it,’’ said Johnson. “It’s also another way for the Dauphin County Library System to connect with their community.”