‘I’m seeking help’: Librarian turned ‘Reading Rainbow’ host Mychal Threets is again raising awareness about mental health
TheGrio...
The literary advocate has been vocal about his mental health struggles, revealing he first became aware of them when he was eight.
Mychal Threets, the former librarian turned host of a revamped version of the beloved children’s show “Reading Rainbow,” has long advocated for mental health and awareness. On Sunday night, he made one of his most personal admissions yet.
“I am not okay,” Threets wrote on Threads. “Maybe I’ll never be okay. I’m seeking help. Going to the hopital [sic] tomorrow. In this moment I am safe. By God’s grace.”
He added, “No matter what happens to me I will always be thankful for the extraordinary people in my life who worry, who help me. Thank you for your care. I will always love you.”
View on Threads
Before that admission, Threets had been vocal in his support for fellow children’s content creator Ms. Rachel, reminding others that they mattered. His Threads account remains littered with several messages in support of children being able to learn, supporting children in Gaza and other areas embroiled in a genocide and imparting wisdom about how books can open young readers up to a brave new world.
Fans and colleagues of Threets immediately began replying to his message, with one commenter writing, “We will be waiting in the library for you to return from your battle.”
The literary advocate has been outspoken about his mental health journey, telling Haben Girma in 2025 that he suffered from depression, anxiety, panic attacks, nightmare disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I’ve dealt with it since I was eight years old,” he admitted. “I’ve had a long journey with mental health.”
In 2024, he announced his departure from the Fairfield Civic Center Library in Solano County, California, citing his mental health. Threets stated he’d been working in “library land” for more than a decade at that point and that despite leaving his position, he would always be a librarian.
“The library is a place where everyone belongs,” he wrote. “This means that sometimes people visit us on their worst days. And on their worst days they take it out on library staff … we lean on one another, we support one another.”