Circle City Classic focuses on youth mental health INDIANAPOLIS — Beyond the youth football games and battle of college bands, the Circle City Classic is focused on educating youth about mental health. Circle City Broadcasting is a partner in the events through Saturday. Indiana Black Exp o organizers held two events Thursday at the Warren Central Performing Arts Center that focused on the pressures of teen life. A mental health symposium featured panelists who shared personal stories, including Amp Harris, an Indianapolis event promoter, philanthropist, and community activist. Harris said, “At 13, I watched my mother watch her husband shoot her son in the head, while her youngest son, me, watched it. So struggling through that for years and years. My mental health made me angry with my mother.” Harris, one of the event moderators, spent years navigating through his own pain. He said he eventually learned how to heal through prayer. He said it is important to talk and address issues now instead of bottling things up. “Particularly men. We’re taught in the Black community: ‘Don’t be soft. Don’t be weak. Crying is a sign of weakness.’ No. Crying is a form of strength. Because in order for you to be comfortable with who you are, you have to be vulnerable, and you have to know yourself,” Harris said. Organizers said more than 900 students attended the symposium and asked questions. Other panelists included Indianapolis Colts Chief Operating Officer Pete Ward, Dr. Christopher Hyppolite, professional athlete Darren Evans, and Executive Director Barbara Thompson of National Alliance on Mental Illness Indiana. Special guest Romeo Miller, the rapper known as Lil’ Romeo in the 2000s, discussed his challenges growing up. “It doesn’t make sense to have a nice car if you don’t have gas to drive it, and that’s what mental health is. We’re not just lifting those weights with our legs and arms, but strengthening our mind as well.” Lawrence North High School student Kameron Culbreath attended the event. “I think it’s important for celebrities to talk about it, especially as a child star. It’s really relatable also, even though we live two different lives, but the pressure that you get growing up kind of, like the expectations people have for you, can weigh you down.” Organizers said they want to keep the Circle City Classics spotlight on mental health for years. Mental health resources Wellness Council of Indiana Indiana Suicide Prevention Indiana Department of Child Services’ Children’s Mental Health Initiative National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 or 800-273-8255 More resources ...read more read less