Greetings Rafiki Village!

We hope you are keeping well this Fall! As you know at RAFIKI our priority is Black Wellness and Health and in acknowledgment of the National Suicide Prevention Month, we have focused our efforts this September to address the growing crisis of death by suicide in our Black Community.

Did you know that:

Rates of suicide among Black youth have risen faster than in any other racial/ethnic group in the past two decades, with suicide rates in Black males 10-19 years-old increasing by 60%.
Early adolescent Black youth are twice as likely to die by suicide as compared to their white counterparts.
Data does show that social determinants of health are greater predictors for suicide in Black children and adolescents than in their white peers.

Please Pay Attention!

Have you lost interest in activities such as hobbies, sports, and spending time with friends?
Do you feel unusually tired or exhausted?
Are you unusually angry, agitated, or irritable?
Do you feel sad, worthless, or hopeless?
Are you neglecting your personal appearance?
Have you noticed a change in your appetite?
Have you increased your use of alcohol or drugs?
Have you been giving away belongings that have value to them?

Rafiki reached out to community members and community mental health professionals and educators to better understand the implications of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for the Black/African American community. Please use this link to hear their responses and to access a "non-carceral" mental health crisis response list.

#StayWeNeedYou:

An Interview with Local SF Activist Queen Vanessa Banks

“The first step to addressing a crisis is admitting something is wrong,” Queen Vanessa Banks emphatically stated in a conversation with Rafiki describing her work and activism that is dedicated to the prevention of suicide in our Black SF Bay Area community. Founder and leader of a local organization called Born and Raised Survivors and Community Developers, Queen Vanessa describes the shock and sadness of losing her own cousin in 2007 to suicide in Oakland. Then, in 2019 she lost another cousin in New Mexico, and a childhood friend in San Francisco to suicide. “I promised them I will not turn a blind-eye to suicide,” Queen Vanessa shared. “I was not going to view suicide as an issue for other communities and really wanted the Black community to admit that we have an issue with suicide so we could pay attention to it, and we have to learn how to deal with it.” Please read full article here.

Left: Queen Vanessa participating in a vigil during the San Francisco Urban Suicide Prevention Week that she helped organize with Rafiki Coalition and other partners and that took place from September 6-10, 2022.

Dear Rafiki Village,

We cannot turn away from a horrific trend in our Black/African American Community as more and more of our community, especially our younger population, is facing death by suicide.

RAFIKI IS DILIGENTLY EXPANDING OUR MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS TO MEET THE CRITICAL NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNTY. We offer free mental health services to children, adults, and families. However, with long waiting lists to see a therapist, our community is being denied treatment during a moment of expanding need.

PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING OUR MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAMMING by making a donation to Rafiki today. Your generosity would contribute greatly towards providing consistent and stable mental health care to our community.

Finally, after addressing this heavy topic, I would like to invite you all to please tend to your hearts and spirits by engaging in a selfcare practice. Consider meditation, being in nature, moving and nourishing your body. For more selfcare ideas and offerings, please do stay in touch to find out about the wellness services offered at Rafiki by visiting the Events & Calendar Page on our Website, or following us on Instagram @rafikiwellness.

Yours in Community and Gratitude,

Monique (Dr. Mo)

Rafiki Executive Director