During our 2021 summer retreat, Koné Consulting began a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) journey. Gently led by Christine Moses, JEDI master and owner of Buffalo Cloud Consulting, we have been exploring racism, white supremacy culture, how to have difficult (but necessary) conversations about racism, and more. Our own Rebecca Sevin has written the following blog in honor of Black History Month.

In honor of Black History Month, I’d like to share an issue that I recently learned about through this artwork by the talented artist Kristie Gadson. The work addresses the recent suicides of Ian Alexander Jr. and Cheslie Kryst. Historically the Black population in the US had a very low suicide rate compared to overall averages, so I was surprised to learn that this is no longer the case. Here is a brief statement from Kristie about the work:

Ian Alexander Jr., son of actress Regina King, was an aspiring DJ, and Cheslie Kryst, a model and television correspondent, held the crown of Miss USA. The news broke mere weeks apart late January 2022 that these two young and promising black lives had been lost to suicide. As a young black female who struggles with mental illness, the news of their passing had a profound impact on me. It made me wonder how many more black youths have passed away due to suicide, and its larger impact on the Black community. Losing Ian Alexander Jr. and Cheslie Kryst deeply saddened me, reminding me of my own struggles with suicide. Their passing made me think that we need to remind black youth that they matter, that they are seen, that they are cherished, and that they deserve to take up space here in this world…so that they never feel that they no longer belong in it.

Some current headlines suggest that pandemic lockdowns are leading to a rise in suicide among Black youth; however, it has been escalating for the past few decades. While the suicide rate is still highest among white, Native American, and Alaskan native youth, those groups have seen a decline while the numbers have increased for Black youth. The New York Times reports that, “From 2013 to 2019 the suicide rate of Black boys and men 15 to 24 years old rose by 47 percent, and by 59 percent for Black girls and women of the same age.” Currently, we are not seeing this effect for older Black Americans. The rates between Black and white Americans are increasingly similar for those aged 15-34, but the rate for Black individuals begins to decrease at age 35. For older individuals we still see the racial gap in suicide rates.

Most alarming are the numbers for the very young. The overall suicide rate for children aged 5-11 was consistent for much of the 90s and early 2000s, but not looking at the rate by racial breakdown hid the fact that over time the rate of suicide had been decreasing among white children and increasing among Black children. A 2018 study found Black children aged 5-11 were twice as likely to die of suicide than white children (please see reference #4 below). To be clear, the number of deaths in this age group is small compared to older groups, but when we’re seeing a trend start this young it foreshadows devastating consequences as this generation grows up.

For more information, possible causes, and ways to help yourself or a loved one, we encourage you to visit:

Black Mental Health Alliance | National Alliance on Mental Illness: Identities: Black/African American | The Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Task Force on Black Youth Suicide & Mental Health: Community Resources

You can see more of Kristie Gadson’s insightful (and often humorous!) work on mental health issues, life as a young Black woman, and general silliness at her Instagram.

- Rebecca

----

1 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/10/well/mind/suicide-rates-black-girls.html

2 https://www.sprc.org/scope/racial-ethnic-disparities/black-populations

3 Bridge, J. A., Asti, L., Horowitz, L. M., Greenhouse, J. B., Fontanella, C. A., Sheftall, A. H., Kelleher, K. J., & Campo, J. V. (2015). Suicide Trends Among Elementary School-Aged Children in the United States From 1993 to 2012. JAMA pediatrics, 169(7), 673–677. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.0465

4 Bridge JA, Horowitz LM, Fontanella CA, et al. (2018) Age-Related Racial Disparity in Suicide Rates Among US Youths From 2001 Through 2015. JAMA Pediatr.172(7), 697–699. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.0399

Please Keep Going: Mental health in the Black community