Luther Kissam V got help. He remembers struggling with his mental health as early as elementary school, breaking down in tears on a youth soccer field after a pass went out of bounds.

“I think there is a critical lack of quality care that is available and affordable to most Americans,” he said. Other advocates and experts agree: Work is underway to improve the Charlotte area’s mental health care system. But inequities in access to care and stigmas about getting help persist, especially in historically marginalized communities. And data show many in the community are still struggling with their mental health in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.