Ever since yesterday, many people have been shocked to hear of the passing of Karyn Washington, founder of For Brown Girls. Even though our names are very similar and I followed her page, I never had the opportunity to connect with Karyn on a more personal level. Now that she is no longer with us, I will never have the pleasure of meeting her. With Karyns suicide and the recent discovery of the body of Teleka Patrick (the young doctor who had been missing since late last year) we are grieving two sisters who were full of promise, but ultimately gone too soon. (Note: Early reports state that there was no foul play in the Patrick case, but her family is seeking a second autopsy report. The final analysis is yet to be determined, but Teleka has previously been reported as dealing with mental health issues prior to her disappearance.) Contrary to popular belief, depression, mental illness and suicide are serious issues within our community. We cannot afford to sweep these issues under the rug or pass them off as isolated incidents, because that is far from the truth. On Monday, April 21st, the Brown Girl Collective Talk Show will be dedicated to the topics of mental health and suicide prevention. It is up to us to engage in the conversation and possibly help to save someones life. More details will be forthcoming about the show, but in the meantime, please read this blog post which was sent to me by Tiffany Gill, Founder of Black Girls Unscripted - blackgirlsunscripted.org/#!press/cuq8.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Apr 2014 02:19:34 +0000