It’s that time of year when you load up the record player and organize your streaming playlist for the Christmas season. No doubt, Chicago’s very own Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” has become a seasonal favorite.

It’s a festive time of year with so much to be thankful for. Perhaps the saddest irony of “This Christmas” is that the very man that wrote and arranged the song was suffering in silence.

Donnita Hathaway (daughter of Donny) is on a mission to bring awareness to her father’s legacy. Not just from a musical standpoint, but from a mental health awareness mission to inform.

With her father’s mural behind her (on the side of Small Cheval on 53rd street) in a neighborhood with roots leading back to the Hathaway family beginnings, she pleads with those who are suffering.

“You don’t have to suffer in silence,” said Hathaway. The mission of the Donny Hathaway Legacy Project is to provide culturally relevant and accessible mental health-related education, advocacy, and essential resources needed to support underserved youth and marginalized communities.

The Donny Hathaway Legacy Project (non-profit 501c3) knows the importance of acknowledging one’s mental health and wellness during the holiday season.

It was during the holiday season when Donny Hathaway spent a wonderful time with his family, and just days later he took his own life.

“12 days after the new year, I just want you to think about all the family gatherings and friends and all of that, 12 days later he was gone,” said Hathaway.

Now more than ever, it is important to check on our family members and friends during this holiday season. In general, this time of year can be tough for those who have lost a parent, grandparent, child, or friend. The goal of the “Be There” Mental Health Campaign is to shine a light on mental health while using heartfelt ways to bring continued joy, fun, and excitement around Donny Hathaway’s legendary Christmas anthem, “This Christmas.”

“The legacy project wants to focus on organizing the trauma and healing through it,” said Hathaway. “Let’s be there for each other, let’s have some empathy, sympathy, grace, and space for folks,” she said.

It’s this time of year that can be hardest for so many people. “As a society, we don’t know to ask for help,” said Hathway. The Donny Hathaway Legacy Project is that in a time of darkness and they want you to know they are here.

Find out more about this Donny Hathaway Legacy Project here.

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