AROUND THE ABPsi
Intentional Illumination
Intentional individuals and institutions committed to African-centered education play a crucial role in building self-love among Black/African students. When I taught the African-Brazilian martial art of capoeira at an African-centered social justice school in Chicago, the students repeated, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me! Harambee, harambee, harambee!” […]
Pressure
Donald Trump and the Rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan; and The Queen is Dead, Long Live the King?
Donald J. Trump is the de facto Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan.A strong assertion requires strong proof. That proof is readily available.Donald’s father, Fred, was arrested at a rally of the Ku Klux Klan in Queens, New York in 1927. His father, with Donald’s assistance, ran a real […]
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 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. […]
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 […]
Join The Conversation