Mental Health Resources for Black and African American Communities

This Black History Month, and all year long, join us in our efforts to fight suicide and raise mental health awareness among Black and African American people.

At the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, we know the importance of culturally relevant mental health resources in fighting suicide among historically marginalized and underserved communities. This February, we encourage you to use and circulate the following list of programs and national resources focused on Black and African American mental health and suicide prevention.

Education Programs

• L.E.T.S. (Listening, Empathy, Trust, Support) Save Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention for Black and African American Communities — L.E.T.S. Save Lives is a research-based presentation created by and for Black and African American people to help reduce cultural stigma, foster conversations about mental health, and raise awareness of suicide prevention in their communities. Contact your local AFSP chapter to learn more.

• Soul Shop for Black Churches — Soul Shop for Black Churches is a one-day training workshop designed to equip religious leaders of Black churches with the resources and guidance they need to address the impact of suicide on Black and African American faith communities, and to foster hope and healing.

Podcast and Livestream Series

• Strong Talk — Strong Talk is a podcast series hosted by AFSP Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement Victor (Vic) Armstrong, MSW. Each episode, Vic and his guests raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention disparities among marginalized communities, while also exploring solutions and available resources.

• Elevating Voices for Long-Lasting Change — Elevating Voices for Long-Lasting Change is an ongoing livestream series that features important discussions among leading experts in mental health and suicide prevention from diverse communities. These experts help to elevate historically marginalized voices, improve public understanding of their range of experiences, and support their unique needs. The following episodes focus specifically on mental health and suicide prevention within Black and African American communities:

• • "Coming Together to Prevent Suicide in Black Communities"

  • "Strengthening Mental Health Support and Connection Within the Black Community"

  • "Suicide Prevention Research in Diverse Communities"

  • "Preventing Suicide in BIPOC Communities: Ways Forward"

  • "Supporting Mental Health in Communities of Color"

  • "Mental Health in the Black Community"

Blog Stories

• "Fulfilling a Calling: Why I Advocate for Suicide Prevention in Black Communities" — As an alumnus and member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. — the first international fraternal organization to be founded on a historically Black college campus — Keon Lewis has helped forge a partnership between Omega Psi Phi and AFSP, which aims to prioritize mental health and suicide prevention in Black communities.

• "L.E.T.S Save Lives: A Message of Hope and Perseverance for the Black Community" — AFSP North Carolina Board Chair and Chapter Leadership Council Member Keon Lewis writes that L.E.T.S. Save Lives is a vital program because it helps to foster new conversations about mental health and suicide prevention for the Black community. This program has been created by and for Black people and resonates in a unique way with its audience.

• "Suicide Does Not Discriminate: Normalizing the Conversation Around Suicide in the Black and African American Community" — In this article, AFSP Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement Victor Armstrong, MSW, writes that L.E.T.S. Save Lives is an effort to help normalize the conversation regarding suicide in the Black and African American community. It is a reminder that the danger of losing hope and social connection is not exclusive to any one race or culture, and neither is the opportunity to create pathways to restore hope.

• "How to Lose (On Death and Dying)" — In The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power, a book by Courtney B. Vance and Dr. Robin L. Smith, famed actor Courtney B. Vance shares his heartfelt, personal journey in the wake of his father’s death by suicide.

National Resources

• National mental health and suicide prevention resources for Black and African American Communities — This list has been reviewed for accuracy, mental health and community content, and ease of use. It is not intended to be exhaustive, and AFSP welcomes the opportunity to review and add other resources.