By Maddy Russell, News Editor
The documentary called When Well-being is White: The Mental Health of Black Students was produced by Vanessa Maria Wilson and sponsored by Bristol SU.
Bristol SU has sponsored a documentary film exploring the mental health and wellbeing experiences of black students at the University. The film was directed by Pierre Amiral Niyongira and released on 1 May on YouTube.
Vanessa Maria Wilson, who was Bristol SU Student Living Officer in 2018/19, was the film's executive producer and says she hopes it will ‘shine a light’ on to the wellbeing of black students at the University.
In February an Epigram report on results of Bristol's 2019 Wellbeing Survey, found that 56 per cent of BME students ‘screened positive’ for ‘moderate to severe’ symptoms of depression compared to 43 per cent of students who identified as white.
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The documentary, which is available to watch on YouTube, includes contributions from black students at Bristol, such as SU Union Affairs Officer Julio Mkok, Student Inclusion Officer Robin Salisu and former SU Undergraduate Education Officer Nasra Ayub.
Speaking on her motivation for making the documentary, Wilson said: ‘This film was born out of personal struggles with mental health at University. I wanted to make a film which not only highlighted the struggles of black students but also combatted the feelings of isolation that so many students face.’
Featured Image: Vanessa Wilson
What have your mental health and wellbeing experiences at Bristol been like? Let us know.
