The Black Mental Health Alliance of Massachusetts (BMHAM) a Boston based mental health advocacy organization recently released an anti-saggy pants video, which has run on major television outlets in the Boston market. The video targeted to young urban dwellers in Massachusetts is the brainchild of Dr. Omar Reid, President and Founder of BMHAM who says that the video’s purpose is to address the growing issue of young men walking in the streets of our communities without regard and respect for themselves and their community.
“For the BMHAM it’s a behavioral health issue in our neighborhoods and communities that must be addressed by the entire community.” says Dr. Reid. “The purpose of the video is not to encourage the arrest of young people wearing sagging pants, or to profile African Americans, our purpose is to make them aware that this behavior is not appropriate or acceptable.”
“This is just the beginning of our public strategy to encourage parents, schools, police, social service agencies, housing agencies, faith based organizations along with men and women in our community to take a collective stand and tell our young men and boys to pull those pants up,” said Reid.