Private Matters and Public Health: Campbell Takes On Mental Illness at Home and in the Community

Chapter two provides an in-depth discussion of Bebe Moore Campbell’s activism as a mental health advocate from 1999-2006 based on interviews with colleagues, family, and friends. It narrates her personal struggle with a daughter who is bipolar and the proactive stance that she took to cope with this difficulty. The chapter reveals how her involvement in the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), her role as a national spokesperson, and her local activism sparked the birth of the NAMI-Urban LA chapter, serving black and Latino communities. Campbell and a group of black women concerned about their children with mental illness effectively addressed the practical needs of families of color by challenging stigma, lobbying for social policies, and providing information, support, and resources both locally and on a national stage. Considering gendered racial communities as the resource and landscape for much of Campbell’s work, it appears that she maintained a broad friendship circle beyond the Black Action Society and NAMI- Urban LA. Exploring this primarily female “embedded friendship network” further evidences Campbell’s commitment to community and family and broadens context of her activism, writing, and life trajectory.

From Podium to Pen and Paper: 72 Hour Hold as Commentary, Critique, and Catharsis

Chapter four considers the direct relationship between Campbell’s final novel, 72 Hour Hold, and her activist work with the NAMI-Urban LA. The novel is examined for Campbell’s recurring themes and for its socio-political commentary and emphasis on mental health disparities, coping with mental illness, and advocacy in black communities. It eventually becomes the top recommended reading for the National Alliance of Mental Illness. Campbell’s fictional account, and last major work before her death, bears striking resemblance to her own life and the challenges that emerged with her daughter Maia, upon the onset of bipolar disorder. 72-Hour Hold strategically extends the reach of Campbell’s activism by exposing the racial, economic, and social layers of mental illness to a broad audience.

The University of Pittsburgh and the Black Action Society: Campbell’s Early Years as a Student Activist

Chapter one commences with a detailed account of Bebe Moore Campbell’s experiences at the University of Pittsburgh. Blending social history with biography, the chapter explores Campbell’s activism within the Black Action Society at the University of Pittsburgh from 1967-1971 and narrates her activities as a student in this period. Accounts of key organizations, political events, protests, and campus events are used to establish the general climate of the campus and to consider the author’s participation and leadership therein.

Epilogue

This chapter culminates the book by revisiting emergent gendered themes from Campbell’s literary and activist work. A close look at her writing and life’s work evidences the continuation of black folk traditions, including themes of spirituality, mother/daughter relationships, and women’s relationships with one another. Additionally, she utilized preventative marital counseling, various support groups, spiritual practice, exercise, healthy eating, and other forms of self-care to sustain her activism over time. The black feminist/womanist strivings across various spheres of her life reveal her consistent “woman-identified” agenda. Campbell’s investment in the mutual support, spirituality, and wellness for black women are undertones of her writing and activism that should not be overlooked. Finally, by reviewing relationships between the two periods of activism and trends or shifts therein, we can see the impact of her early activism and consciousness on her later activism, writing and advocacy. The development or evolution of Bebe Moore Campbell’s approach to activism and the strategies she employed as a younger woman versus as an older woman offers insight on black women’s contemporary activism and sustaining activist involvement over a lifespan.

A Novel Beginning: Campbell’s Emergence as a Fiction Writer with Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine

Chapter three deepens Campbell’s story by considering the emergence of her first novel Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine. The content of Your Blues is connected to racial consciousness and concern for racial violence that Campbell develops as a college student during the Black Liberation period. The recurrent themes in Your Blues reveal a direct relationship to Campbell’s activism at the University of Pittsburgh. Finally, the chapter also highlights the emergence of Campbell’s signature style of integrating specific historical, social, and political themes into all her fictional writing.