Nakumbuka is a Kiswahili word that means I remember. Nakumbuka is the name given to the annual day of observance for the Maafa (The African slavery holocaust). Jomo Nkombe, a Tanzanian who lived in Canada, pioneered the idea of nakumbuka as a public ritual in 1990. From early youth, Nkombe […]
Richard Philcox’s 2008 translation of Frantz Fanon’s 1952 book, Black Skin, White Masks, holds relevance for Black/Africans in America. Fanon’s words describe the post-colonial impact of race and racism in France and critique his academic studies. He demonstrates how people of African descent wear masks to manage living under the […]
Black Matrescence and Maternal Suicide: Breaking the Silence for Black Mothers Brianna A. Baker, PhD, Postdoctoral Counseling Psychologist, CUNY School of Public Health Koree Badio, MS, Counseling Psychology Doctoral Student, University of Florida In September 2025, 31-year-old Drake Patton and her two young children were found dead in Lake Michigan. […]
Growing up in Black households, some sayings linger. They persist across generations and counteract interventions that promote healing. Even though the literature states that African Americans die by suicide, there is still the myth in some households that ‘Black folks don’t kill themselves.’ I can assume various reasons for why […]
Strong but Sinking: The Hidden Toll of Family Strain, Incarceration, and Suicide Among Black Men in the African Diaspora by Abasi Key, M.A. and Felicia Swafford, Ph.D. Photo by Asso Myron on Unsplash For the Black/Afrikan diaspora community, this conversation is both urgent and deeply necessary. For too long, suicide […]
Hip-hop, Suicide, and Hope by Dr. Vernon C. Lindsay, Dr. Damien Danielly, and Mr. Na’eem Wilkins Hip-hop still lives. Its music and culture can prevent deaths by suicide. Nino Paid’s song, Joey Story offers us an example. Nino Paid rhymes, “Let me tell y’all a story About somebody that I […]
It is imperative for Black men to find healthy ways to cope with stress and trauma to extend our lives and improve our well-being. In an interview, J. Cole discussed his challenges with depression and discussed how he came to understand, “It’s ok to not be ok.” J and other […]
When we talk about suicide prevention in Black communities, we often focus on schools, clinics, hospitals, and crisis hotlines. These are all critical, but there’s another space where Black people go every week to feel safe, seen, and restored: the beauty salon and the barbershop. For generations, salons and barbershops […]
On September 7, 2015, I sat in a bathtub, staring at the rising water, asking myself one question over and over again: Why are you here? Three years post-graduate, I was working as an associate clinical social worker in hospice care. On the surface, I looked like I had it […]
“K Y S” spilled from my son’s lips as he replied to his older sister’s tease. “Hey, I don’t care how upset she makes you, telling someone, saying it, or spelling Kill Yourself is not ok. Apologize, now!” I raised my voice as I corrected my son’s language. “I’m sorry. […]
