Black LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Prevention Education (Zoom and In-Class)

Project Rene: The Suicide Prevention & Education Curriculum designed by Women’s Leadership Project college youth interns Brianna Parnell, Aujané Brown, and Zella Montgomery utilizes an intersectional, humanistic, and feminist lens to address the unique and challenging complexities of mental health, particularly for transitional-aged youth (TAY) and young adults from marginalized communities. 

Statistics show that “from 2007 to 2020, the suicide rate rose 144% among 10-17 year olds who are Black.” Further, from 2003 to 2019, suicide rates among Black girls between the ages of twelve and fourteen increased by 59%. As Essence magazine notes, “According to the American Psychological Association, African American teenage girls surpass their White and Hispanic counterparts in suicide attempts…”  In addition, suicide and suicidal ideation among queer youth continue to skyrocket, exacerbated by a national climate that promotes homophobic, transphobic, and heteronormative discrimination and violence against queer communities. Project Rene puts an emphasis on the lives of BIPOC youth, LGBTQIA+ individuals, disabled youth, youth experiencing homelessness, foster youth, and those from low-income backgrounds.