In the last 20 years, the rise of mental health awareness can be attributed to health professionals and advocates from all walks of life sharing their experiences. As we never knew the impact of prioritizing mental health, until we started to see celebrities talk about it. The one show that can be given credit for normalizing the clinical practice was The Sopranos. The sessions between Tony Soprano and Dr. Melfi, gave viewers insight into how a visit with a doctor would be, making it more palatable to those who would need it.

One of the things that get rarely talked about is how mental health awareness is shunned upon in BIPOC communities. As mainstream society rarely even sees BIPOC as people and no one talks about the effects it has on your mind and the damage it does to your double consciousness. This is even more transparent to those BIPOC where they are the only ones that look like them, making the awareness of race even more apparent. In Robyn Smith’s The Saddest Angriest Black Girl in Town, the creator retells her experience of being one of the people of color in a small Vermont town.

In “Sad”, she recounts her daily how being Black in such a White setting often made other people uncomfortable to the point where confidence became withdrawn and her basically apologizing for making other people uncomfortable because of it.  In “Angry “she recounts just how many times she had to hold back her anger in fear of alienating those around her and just how comfortable White people in town were with use the N word. In “Black”, she relegates her awareness of her blackness and how it should be celebrated and not feared. In the last chapter, Smith gives readers, a behind the scenes of her process.

Overall, The Saddest Angriest Black Girl in Town is an excellent comic book which makes BIPOC feel seen and gives a view into our daily struggles. The stories by Smith are heartbreaking but ultimately, inspiring. The art by Smith is astonishing. Altogether, a book that every BIPOC should get their hands on and every one who consider themselves an ally, should read.

Story: Robyn Smith Art: Robyn Smith
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

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Purchase: Radiator Comics