Source: Delmaine Donson / Getty
We’re always told that when life gives you lemons to simply make lemonade, but things can feel detrimental for those that just can’t find a way to get past the sourness.
That’s when the decision to commit suicide unfortunately comes into play, and many Black men in Denver are doing so at a rapidly increasing rate that can only be described as heartbreaking.
The Denver Post recently did a report on the issue and dropped some alarming statistics when it comes to the mental health of our brothers in Colorado. Since 2013, the outlet says that suicide amongst Black men in the state has nearly doubled from 10.2 suicides per 100,000 people to 20.2 suicides per 100,000 in 2020. On of the biggest advocators to change that around for the better is Halim Ali, founder of nonprofit From the Heart Enterprises that works diligently to give young Black men an outlet to reverse trauma or anger that typically leads to feelings of isolation, violence and most importantly suicide.
Here’s more behind Halim Ali’s initiative and the big plans he has in order to let our boys know that a bright future is something to always look forward to, via Denver Post:
“In the long term, Ali hopes to raise enough money to create a 24/7 crisis center for men where they can access mental health services, food, meditation spaces, housing services and workshops on healthy relationships, self-care and goal-planning in a safe and welcoming environment. Too often, men do not access mental health services until they are ordered to do so by a judge, Ali said.
‘I just see so much happening with our men,’ he said.
Ali sees an undercurrent of anger in all of the young men he mentors. Unresolved trauma from violence, abandonment and other wounds too often manifests as violence, self-harm, substance use, isolation and hopelessness, Ali said. But U.S. culture teaches young men, especially Black men, to stay silent about their emotions and to shield themselves from vulnerability, Ali said.
‘We just don’t talk about it,’ Ali said.”
Given the many things that Black people in general have to witness in the media, put up with in the workplace, experience in educational settings and so many other lanes of our lives, it sadly isn’t that shocking to see why some men can feel a sense of hopelessness. However, as a community we have the power to uplift each other and hopefully turn these results around in not just Denver, Colorado but across the world.
Let’s increase the love for one another and encourage our Black men to keep living, y’all.
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