Todd Tucker | Family Issue 2018

these traditional role norms,
the more likely they are to be
depressed.”
Lee Thompson Young was a
flame of talent that dimmed
too soon; in honor of Young’s
legacy, his family launched
the Lee Thompson Young
Foundation in an effort to
help remove the stigma surrounding
mental illness.
The mission for the foundation
is to promote a world in
which mental illness is recognized
by all as a treatable,
biopsychosocial disorder and
the stigma associated with
it no longer exists; a world
that supports and encourages
wholeness and well being at
every stage of life.
“We know Lee wasn’t the
only one. And for them to see
everything he accomplished
in the 29 years, I mean, it’s
more than some people accomplish
in their whole
lives,” says Young’s sister,
Tamu Lewis, in an interview
with news outlet WFSB4.
“He was able to do that even
with the mental illness. And,
yes, it ended tragically, but
through that we’re inspired.”
If you, or a loved one, are
struggling with suicidal
thoughts, please contact the
National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline at 1.800.273.8255.
Footnotes:
1. https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Diverse-Communities/African-Americans
2. https://sph.unc.edu/hiding-emotions-mayexacerbate-depression-among-black-menwho-confront-racial-discrimination/
29 The Quintessential Gentleman | Summer 2018 www.TheQGentleman.com