Depression is the leading cause of sickness and disability in the world, according to the World Health Organisation. Media producer, two times Emmy winner, and activist, Nikki Webber Allen, is passionate about creating a safe space for honest conversations about mental health in communities of colour.

Even after being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, Nikki felt too ashamed to tell anybody, keeping her condition a secret until a family tragedy revealed how others close to her were also suffering. She says that as a black woman, she felt her depression was letting down her ancestors, and when she thought of the unspeakable horrors they experienced so she could have the privileged life she enjoys today, she felt deep shame.

In this important talk about mental health, she speaks openly about her struggle–and why we must undo the stigma that misreads depression as a weakness and stops people from getting help.

Feature Image: Anthony Tran