The first-ever opinion piece for The Thread and stories from Black, Asian & Arab communities you shouldn't have missed this week - curated by Melissa Sigodo

Good evening,

Thank you for subscribing to The Thread and apologies for the late email. You’ll notice it’s a bit longer today.

This week’s newsletter features a milestone for The Thread. A milestone made possible by your paid subscriptions. With your help, I have been able to commission a journalist to write our first ever opinion piece for The Thread’s new opinion section called The Read. I hope that the space to share the opinions of writers of colour will be used regularly.

Giving paid opportunities to those from ethnic minority backgrounds is important to me as I’ve seen first-hand how much our work can be undervalued. But your support of The Thread is proof that it is valued, meaningful and important. Especially in the times we live in.

So, THANK YOU.

If you would like to continue to support this work and to help The Thread grow, share it with friends and get them subscribed and informed.

Without further ado, here’s the first piece.

The Read

Maxine Harrison is a freelance writer with published pieces in The Independent, Refinery29 and more. You can follow Maxine on Twitter @BlessedIsM or Instagram @RemiReports.

The senseless killing of Sonya Massey sent shockwaves across America. But finding out she had paranoid schizophrenia, hit a little closer to home, writes Maxine Harrison.

Maxine Harrison - Friday August 1, 2024 - The Thread

As the daughter of Black parents diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, I could vividly imagine my mum and dad in a situation where their lives could suddenly be taken by police.

Even though my mother and father couldn’t raise me due to their condition, I always stayed in contact with them while I was brought up by my grandmother. As I got older, I developed a desire to help keep them safe.

Over the years, I’ve become more deeply aware of the stigma attached to mental health and the racism that exists in policing.

As a result, I have a tracker for my dad, and I prefer to be with my mum when she speaks to authorities.

In 2020, 23-year-old Olaseni Lewis died following the restraint of 11 police officers after admitting himself to hospital for mental health treatment.