“We are losing our kids’: The Black youth suicide rate is rising. The coronavirus pandemic, coupled with a rising awareness of instances of police brutality against minorities, deepens their trauma.
A study published in the Journal of Community Health found that the rate of suicide deaths among young black males increased by 60 percent from 2001 through 2017. Researchers documented a 182 percent increase in the rate of suicide deaths of young black females during that same time period.
The recent suicide of a Traveler’s Rest High School freshman inspired Unity Sports Soccer club to sponsor a session via Zoom on teen suicide prevention and awareness. The program was facilitated by Dr. Asa Briggs, NP Psychiatry and Dr. Kevin Springle, Pediatrician. The session included a poignant testimony by Ashley Glenn, whose son recently died by suicide. Bethany Henry, Regional Program Coordinator of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is currently presenting “Ending the Silence”, a mental wellness and suicide prevention program for youth. Technical assistance for the program was provided by Jarrord Walker, a member of the Greenville Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Incorporated.
The full video can be viewed on the Unity Sports Soccer Club’s YouTube channel and our Facebook, Instagram & Twitter platforms.