The Silent Killer

"Every 10 minutes someone dies by suicide in the United States. Every 19 minutes, someone is left to make sense," according to the American Association of Suicide Prevention.

However, in the African-American community, many fail to make sense of the fact that from 1980 to early 1990, the number of African American men aged 15-24 suicide is increased by 83 percent according to the American Association of Suicidology. And while whites may continue to be twice as likely to commit suicide, suicide is still the third leading cause of death among men in the African-American community.

"As someone who studies this area, I was not surprised that men in black take suicidal behavior," said Sean Joe, Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan. "I was surprised, though, by the nature of suicide: both media, the use of the substance, and the exhibitionist aspect of it."

The appearance of an exhibitionist that Joe and many others are still upset is the suicide of Abraham Biggs, a native of Florida who has 19 years of broadcast his suicide on the Internet through his webcam, while the audience encouraged him to take his own life. suicide Biggs public 'has a lot of questions if there is still a stigma in the African-American community in the area of suicide and mental illness, which is often the culprit of suicidal behavior.

"There was an 'idea in the black community, and to some extent in the mental health community, that blacks do not take suicidal behavior. But there was a sharp increase in suicides among African-Americans, particularly young people male blacks that began in late 1980 and peaked at the end of 1990, "said Joe.

To combat the false idea that African Americans are not suffering from mental illness or engage in suicidal behaviors, entertainer / entrepreneur Juanita Johnson, known simply as Juanita, has become a driving force in the development of the National Alliance of Mental Illness' (NAMI), New Jersey initiative AACT-NOW!, which was created to help African American individuals and families coping with mental illness, providing them with advocacy, education and resources.

Juan was a lawyer to remove the stigma of mental illness that exists in the African American community, which can be a major cause of suicidal behavior. JUANITA lawyers as they made their goal of educating African Americans about the reality of mental illness and the need for them to seek treatment before the consequences become fatal. She often talks about anti-stigma and mental health in the event of higher education institutions, churches, health fairs and festivals.

She is also very active with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), coordinating the 2008 Out of the Darkness Community Walk, an effort to raise funds for programs to prevent suicide. "My goal is to show others that anything is possible," said Juanita. "Being a survivor."

Surviving the force should be considered as if men are African Americans to discredit the mental health and suicide, says Joe. "The biggest challenge is redesigning black masculinity in general, and how men perceive what it means to seek help for mental health problems. The degree to which we can reduce the stigma around seeking help, and convince men to understand that is not weak to seek help for problems will greatly affect our ability to achieve (the African-American) community. "