Camila Cabello took racial healing sessions

5 March 2021

Camila Cabello took racial healing sessions after using racial language when she was younger.

Camila Cabello

The 24-year-old singer offered a public apology last year after posts of her using racially insensitive language on her Tumblr account as a teen resurfaced and she has since joined the National Compadres Network, a racial equity group, to learn more about racism and how to be an ally.

Speaking to People's Women Changing the World Issue, she said: "It created a space where I was held accountable. You get corrected, you have homework, and you learn. That's how you move forward. Now I know better so I can do better."

After joining the community, the 'Havana' hitmaker wanted to use her knowledge to help others and created the Healing Justice Project in January.

She explained: "As I learned more about other people's experiences in the world, I was like, 'How do I help the people who are on the frontlines of dismantling systems that create oppression? And how do I bridge that with my own personal journey with mental health and healing?'"

The nonprofit - which is in partnership with Movement Voter Fund - provides grants to 10 BIPOC, LGBTQ+and youth-led organisations to cover six months worth of mental health support for their workers.

It raised nearly $250,000 for 10 different organisations, including Black Leaders Organizing Communities, Faith For Justice, Freedom, Inc., Living United for Change in Arizona, Mass Liberation Arizona, MN350, Muslim Women For, QLatinx, Southerners on New Ground and Student Advocacy Center of Michigan, in the first round of funding.

Camila - who has been open about her struggles with anxiety - believes it is important to provide mental health services and tools for marginalised groups as it has been helpful for her.

She added: "What all the organisations have in common is that they are helping their communities, especially marginalized groups in their communities. They all also expressed a need for these mental wellness resources. In conversations, we talked about tools that have helped me in my own life, like breath work and learning how to calm down your nervous system. For some people, maybe it's talk therapy. Finding a good therapist has been really helpful for me in challenging thinking patterns that were causing me to feel anxious or self-destructive. Doing 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation has been really helpful for me too."