Tottenham rapper appears in new documentary on Black men's mental health

Black Boys Don’t Cry airs on ITV this Sunday, writes Olivia Opara

A Tottenham rapper and mental health advocate will feature in a new ITV documentary this Sunday (8th).

Shocka (aka Kenneth Erhahon), a rapper and mental health advocate from Broadwater Farm, will be making an appearance in ITV’s new documentary Black Boys Can Cry. The documentary follows Alex Beresford, a television presenter, as he travels across the UK following the loss of his best friend to suicide.

During the documentary, Alex tries to unravel and explore why his best friend became part of a “shocking” statistic that Black men are “17 times more likely to have a mental issue than white counterparts”. As part of his quest to discover why, Alex interviews Shocka about his journey of being sectioned and reconciling with past trauma which he explores in debut book, A Section of Your Life.

Shocka said: “It is good to see Black men portrayed in a more vulnerable light. The world has shown and seen us as only aggressive for so long. So this balance was needed.”

The documentary will premiere on Sunday, 8th October on ITV1 at 10.45pm.

If you or someone close to you is struggling call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, email [email protected] for a reply within 24 hours, text “SHOUT” to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, text “YM” if you’re under 19. If you’re under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline.You can also find more NHS urgent mental health helplines here

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