In this deeply personal memoir, Meri Nana-Ama Danquah shares her experiences with depression as a black woman in the United States. As an immigrant, Danquah brings a unique perspective of two cultures clashing, her Ghanian roots with her upbringing in the United States. As a freelance journalist, Danquah has had the opportunity to work on many different assignments for a wide range of sources, but her most impactful piece of writing is arguably this memoir. Through writing Willow Weep for Me, Danquah created a language to talk about the experience of having depression as a black woman, something that had previously been absent from society. As one of the first stories of its kind to accurately represent the struggles black individuals face when battling depression, this pivotal writing helped to start the creation of language for black individuals to use to talk about their depression. Danquah created the space to allow others to come forward and share their own struggles with mental illness.
Before Danquah’s memoir, the existing language surrounding depression in the black community was either misrepresentative or simply didn’t exist at all. While it took an immense amount of courage to be so vulnerable, part of Danquah’s willingness to share her story was motivated by a need to bring awareness to this issue. Until there is literature on depression in black individuals, it can not be fully understood, nor can we start to fix the problem. Even though this book was written over twenty years ago now (1998), its messages still hold true. The oppression and silencing of black voices is still an issue in the United States and it is very apparent from backlash that the Black Lives Matter movement has gotten, that this issue will not be fixed easily.
Black individuals have historically been ignored in the medical profession, especially in regard to mental health. Stemming from slavery, systemic racism seeps into the United States’ healthcare system, resulting in grave health disparities between racial groups, negatively affecting not only the physical health but also the mental health of black indidivuals. Mental illness is already stigmatized in our society for those with white privilege, so there is an even bigger stigma for minorities. As Danquah shares her own story with depression, the societal context in which her life is enmeshed starts to reveal itself. Danquah’s memoir hints at deep rooted issues of systemic racism in the United States and how it has severely limited access to mental health resources for black individuals for generations, perpetuating rates of mental illness within black communities.
From childhood into early adulthood, Danquah’s voice was silenced by society as well as her close relationships. Whether it was being told she had a “flare for melodrama” (33) by her mother or labeled “troubled” (164) by her therapist, Danquah internalized her struggles, beating herself up for not being strong enough to handle the stresses in her life. As the “backbone” of their community, black women are expected to be strong; they are the caretakers. In her memoir, Danquah reflects on this external pressure from her community and how it made her even more reluctant to seek help for her depression.
However, one thing was able to help her cope with her struggles: writing. Starting from writing poetry in school to becoming an established writer, writing has always been a source of healing for Danquah. As she reflects on in the memoir, writing has healing abilities, which is why patient narratives are so impactful for not only the readers, but also the authors. Writing helped her heal from her own wounds and by writing in such a public way, Danquah creates a space where others can heal from her words as well. Through the genre of autobiography, Danquah uses artistic expression to fight back against a society that systemically silences her. The way Danquah shares her story, in such an open and unapologetic way, helps her not only regain her own voice, but also start to assert power over her own story.
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