Pressure
The Harm of Western Psychology (2022)
By: Joniesha Hickson and Evan Auguste For generations, African-descendant peoples have been forced to reckon with global delusions of our innate inferiority. Whether considered through the lens of a psychopathic racial personality, a suboptimal worldview, or an afro pessimism, our scholars have made it clear that the ideas responsible for […]
Research Corner
Black Matrescence and Maternal Suicide: Breaking the Silence for Black Mothers
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. […]
RECENT POSTS
Black Myths and Suicide Deaths
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
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
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 […]
Black Men and Suicide: Time to Sound the Alarm
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 […]
Beauty Shops, Barbershops, and Suicide Prevention: A Call to Partner with Black Healing Spaces
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 […]
Why Are You Here? Ten Years of Recovery, Resilience, and Reclaiming Black Wellness
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 […]
Fatherhood, Black Youth, and Suicide
“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. […]
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