Email the Author
You can use this page to email Vanessa Hazzard & Iresha Picot about The Color of Hope.
About the Book
Mental illness affects people of all backgrounds yet many people of color go untreated. According to the Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20% more likely to report having serious psychological distress than Non-Hispanic Whites. High school aged Hispanic girls are 70% more likely to attempt suicide than White girls of the same age.
The Color of Hope: People of Color Mental Health Narratives is a literary project that sheds light on mental health in communities of color by sharing stories from those affected by mental illness. The book contains 20+ essays, interviews, and poems from people of color. Proceeds from will go toward various projects and organizations that serve the mental health community and will change on a rotating basis.
About the Author
Iresha Picot is a Licensed Behavior Specialist, and has a Master’s Degree in Urban Education Policy and Post-Graduate work in Women Studies from Temple University. In addition to a Master’s Degree, she has Post-Graduate certifications in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism. Currently, Iresha works in the Behavior and Mental Health fields as a Licensed Behavior Specialist and Therapist and is currently a Lead Clinician in a School Therapeutic Treatment program. Iresha is also a Birth Doula and a Prison Abolitionist.
Vanessa Hazzard is an internationally trained massage and bodyworker, writer, and healing arts educator from Philadelphia, PA. Over the past eleven years, Vanessa has studied in a variety of areas in the wellness industry including Yoga for Trauma and Addiction with the Transformation Yoga Project, Traditional Thai Massage at International Training Massage School (ITM) and Chi Nei Tsang with Thanachai Chaimongkhon in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She has had her poetry and narratives featured in Elephant Journal, For Harriet, Soar, Recovering Yogi, Blavity, and Apiary Magazine’s The Hive. Living with bipolar disorder, Vanessa aims to educate wellness professionals and the general public on mental illness by developing/facilitating trauma-informed yoga and massage classes. Her goal is to provide the space and tools necessary for participants to develop mindfulness, discipline and strength from the inside out.