Background
Actively SeeK.I.N.G… CIC is a creative arts social impact organisation. Natasha Cox, the CEO and Artistic Director, founded it in 2019 and has over two decades of experience in the creative arts industry. Natasha and a board of directors now lead the company, which seeks to rebuild the K.I.N.G. (Knowledge, Identity, Nurturer, and Gifts) in young black men who consistently face challenges and barriers that affect their well-being and mental health. This could range from personal difficulties to issues related to structural, institutional, and individual racism.
Though not culturally exclusive, we primarily serve young men of African and Caribbean descent through culturally specific creative interventions. Through this artistic expression, we empower our young black men to embrace their authentic selves, unleash their potential, and positively impact society.
The work of Actively SeeK.I.N.G.
Actively SeeK.I.N.G. work with a diverse group of young black men who are dealing with mental health issues, regardless of whether they are failing or excelling in their academic studies and extracurricular activities, or whether they are at risk of or already in the criminal justice system.
We provide opportunities for personal and professional development through our platform of creative arts and media. This is accomplished by designing and executing bespoke events, programmes, workshops, and productions built on data-driven evidence and validated creative art techniques. We also collaborate with partner organisations because we believe in providing holistic support to our young men.
Why is Actively SeeK.I.N.G. Needed?
We are particularly concerned with three major issues affecting young black men: mental health, education (school suspensions and exclusions), and the criminal justice system. They are concerning because young black men are overrepresented in these areas, which tend to overlap, resulting in a domino effect.
Mental Health
There is evidence that African and Caribbean males in the UK of secondary school age (and even younger) are more likely than other groups to suffer from mental health issues, partly due to the stresses of living in poverty, housing insecurity and homelessness, difficulties at school, reduced access to opportunities, and the more significant problem of experiencing racism.1
They are more likely to handle stress independently by relying on themselves and internalising their anger as a coping mechanism rather than seeking help from formal support.2 As a result, they are more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act in later years.3
Education
During their early years of education, they are at their expected level of attainment; however, this level drops from as early as age 7.4 At the age of 11, black boys do not have poorer mental health than their counterparts of the same age.5 This tells us that the mental health of black boys starts to deteriorate in their early teens leading to underachievement and permanent suspension.6
Recently documented suspensions showed 68% were male students. A majority of the reasons attributed to suspensions e.g. disruptive behaviour, physical assault and verbal abuse, are indicative of a lack of mental health as it communicates a difficulty coping with the stresses of life.
At just 29% mixed white and black Caribbean boys were the lowest group to attend higher education.
At GCSE level, black Caribbean boys achieve an average of two grades lower than white British boys, and black African boys achieve 1.5 grades lower than white British boys. In 2018/19 almost 60% of black African males went on to higher education, compared to just under 35% of black Caribbean males. At just 29% mixed white and black Caribbean boys were the lowest group to attend higher education. These statistics reveal more work needs to be done concerning black boys and more specifically mixed white and black Caribbean boys.
Criminal Justice System
In 2020, 32% of children in prison were black, despite black prisoners accounting for only 13% of the entire prison population.7 The reoffending rates for black children are 42.4% compared to 35.3% for white children.
Once they have entered the criminal justice system, the government continues to disproportionately fail to provide black boys with the help they require to live crime-free lives. Sadly, statistics show that mixed-race children are over-represented in most stages of the system, including stop and search, arrests, cautions, sentences, and incarceration.8
SeeK.I.N.G. the Value in You
Termed ‘invisibility syndrome’, Franklin (1999, p. 761) found that black men experienced “an inner struggle with the feeling that one’s talents, abilities, personality, and worth were not valued or even recognised because of prejudice and racism.” This is exemplified by actions that result in disruptive behaviour, physical assault, and verbal abuse, which leads to suspension when, in fact, it is a cry for help.
Black boys, who were often forced to navigate painful experiences because of exposure to racism, discrimination, and other forms of mistreatment, believed their lives to be less meaningful and valued than others.
Goodwill (2021) found that feelings of worthlessness were detrimental to mental health and psychological well-being. They found that black boys, who were often forced to navigate painful experiences because of exposure to racism, discrimination, and other forms of mistreatment, believed their lives to be less meaningful and valued than others.
Our work at Actively SeeK.I.N.G. aims to address these inner struggles by championing their self-worth and advocating for them to challenge personal and societal barriers and racial biases they encounter in their daily lives in order to support their well-being and mental wealth.