September Suicide Awareness Month

By Heather Guy, Racial Justice Coordinator
YWCANEIN

This is an all-hands-on-deck plea to our community. Not only am I a mother of Black youth, I have had the privilege to work with our children at schools and in the community. Recently I was invited to a presentation with the Allen County Health Equity Coalition, where Colleen Carpenter from Stop Suicide Northeast Indiana shared some astounding statistics regarding the Black American community, including the Black community here in Fort Wayne. Nationally, the suicide rate among Black youth is increasing faster than any other racial/ethnic group. There is so much cause for concern that on a national level, the Congressional Black Caucus created an Emergency Task Force on Black Youth & Mental Health, which resulted in their report, “Ring the Alarm”. This study points to causes and solutions for our communities at large. But, the crisis of our Black people locally requires me to reach out to you now. Locally, the suicide rate for Black people in Allen County 15.5 which is over twice the national average rate for Black Americans at 7. The average rate for Indiana is 8.9. As you can see, both our state and our city are significantly higher than national averages.

Since the conversation of mental health and wellness has gained traction in our community, I have been lulled into a type of complacency, pleased to see that seeking professional help has become increasingly destigmatized in our community. There is also an understanding that younger generations are not satisfied to be, just units of labor production. Our young ones are looking to be well-rounded in their professional lives, as well as their personal lives. While I classify this as a type of cultural progress, I do not want to get comfortable in this awareness. When presented with the suicide rates here in Allen County, my sense of comfort was shattered. Even in my own darkest moments, I wholeheartedly believed there was light at the end of the tunnel. When learning about the number of lives lost to suicide in Allen County, it is hard for me to NOT think about the pain experienced by individuals who ultimately conclude that not living was their best option. I am so sorry for them. I am sorry for their absence in the lives of the ones who know and love them. I have determined that we all need to be that light for each other and especially for the future of our community. We have to take it upon ourselves as the individuals that make up our communities, to extend our reach a little bit more. We are all stretched thin in our own lives. But, our collective well-being is in jeopardy if we do not pull together. It is so important for me to state that my comments are not a criticism of anyone, but rather a plea coming from my concern for everyone. And, in contemplating the gravity of this concern, I wonder what am I even capable of doing? I can write this editorial, and share some insights that I have gained in having worked in our community for over a decade now. What I offer does not require more than a commitment and willingness to invest some positive energy towards the uplifting of future generations. Being present for others, within our own abilities, might mean listening to someone’s frustration without judgment, or by providing gentle encouragement. Extending ourselves a little further is something we all can do.

Let us consider the importance of nourishment. To be nourished does not simply mean to be fed. It means to be restored to health and becoming an optimal being. Nourishment is not just attending to one’s physical needs, as it is possible to nourish emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Let us start by having a conversation about our eating and dining habits. What we physically consume is quite literally the gas in our well-being tank. What does it mean that so many families are trapped in the cycle of not being able to prepare food with and for their loved ones? Think about the connections that we are not making when we grab the fastest thing for our families. A lot of what seems like the easiest to prepare is actually doing more harm to our bodies. Awareness that the majority of Black Fort Wayne citizens live in a food desert is an alarm that has been raised by the people of the Utopian Community Grocery and the Human Agricultural Cooperative. With all of the farmer’s markets in our city, we should be feeding our families fresh produce more abundantly. Fresh food provides an opportunity to express and receive love. We should be purposeful about taking the time out to prepare food and care for our loved ones. Real mash potatoes over instant boxed potatoes. Macaroni and cheese with real cheese and milk. Fresh vegetables for sides. Reduced amounts of bread and gluten might also help stave off gut inflammation, which leads to an array of health complications. And while it is important to be mindful of what we feed our bellies, it is also important that we nourish our brains and spirits.

Another way to tap into nourishment is being invested in your immediate community. We need to SHARE MORE with each other. We are naturally collaborative in the Black community. Historically it has been our tendency to embrace one another and we need to return to this culture. Being involved in each other’s lives means that we are affirmed and that our affirmations of others are valued. If you are an engaged citizen and professional, you can be an example to those around you. Share your secrets to success, but also share your vulnerabilities. Show people that you need them as much as they need you. Model the resiliency it takes to thrive in our society. If you are the parent of school age children, being present in your child/children’s school experience is so important. Showing children that you are invested in their educational development journey helps to motivate our kids to perform better. A relationship with teachers and school staff lets everyone know that you are involved in your child’s experience and that, too, may prompt the staff to treat your child with a little more care. Cultivating a healthy relationship with the school experience not only impacts academic performance, but primary education helps to guide the developmental progress of our children. It is so vital that our children get necessary guidance from all parts of our community, home, school and our neighborhoods.

Another opportunity is for us to show up more, especially for young parents! Oftentimes we shun young and unwed parents. This is an outdated and shaming approach that needs to be left behind. We are missing the chance to mold two generations at once. I would also like to encourage our community at large to do better with those children who don’t necessarily come from stable backgrounds, but exhibit intellectual capacity. This is a criticism of our community to the extent that people of power and influence have a tendency to look down on those of us who have had to be scrappy and resourceful in our own right. Some of our children do not have the polish of middle class respectability, but this classism is harmful to our community. In fact, we may be shortchanging ourselves by not including those individuals who could use a healthy influence in their lives.

The drive of youth will only take them so far. We still have to exercise our influence to guide their continual healthy development. The dreams we have for each other do not work, unless we do. The dreams we have for our children, our community, do not work, unless we do. The seeds we plant today will be the shade or fruit of a tree we get to see grow!