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A study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health reveals a significant increase in suicide rates among Black women in the U.S. from 1999 to 2020, with the most notable rise among Black teens and young adults. Published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, this research is the first to analyze the suicide epidemiology of Black females by geographic regions in the U.S., spanning ages 15 to 84. The findings show that suicide rates climbed from 2 deaths per 100,000 in 1999 to 3.4 per 100,000 in 2020. For Black women aged 15 to 24, the rate surged from 1.9 to 4.9 per 100,000. Victoria Joseph, MPH, the lead author, emphasized the alarming rate increases among young Black females, particularly between ages 25 and 27, highlighting a critical developmental period needing additional support. The study suggests these increases may be linked to rising instances of cyberbullying and online racial attacks. Researchers also noted that structural racism and resulting mistrust in support systems might hinder care access, impacting suicide behaviors. Using data from the National Center for Health Statistics' Multiple Cause of Death 1999-2020 database, the study analyzed 9,271 suicide deaths among Black women. A pattern emerged showing a clear age effect, with higher rates in younger women; a period effect, with increasing rates over time; and a cohort effect, particularly high in those born after 2002. Regional differences were also significant, with the highest rates observed in the West and a concentration of deaths in the South due to its larger Black population. Factors like intimate partner violence and neighborhood violence were identified as significant contributors to the mental health challenges faced by Black women, particularly in certain regions. The study, supported by an NIH grant, calls for more detailed future research on state-level trends and the impacts on various ethnicities and gender identities. Co-authors include researchers from various institutions, emphasizing the collaborative effort to understand and address this critical public health issue. Link: Public Health At Columbia

Demetrio Jackson, a 43-year-old, died after being sedated and restrained by police in response to a trespassing call in Wisconsin. Despite initial medical attention with oxygen, Jackson's condition worsened after he was injected with a sedative, leading to cardiac arrest and his death two weeks later. This incident, investigated by The Associated Press, highlights a broader issue where at least 94 people died under similar circumstances from 2012 to 2021. The investigation revealed that this practice, often justified by a controversial medical condition called "excited delirium," disproportionately affected Black individuals, including Jackson, and is based on dubious science. "They're running around on the streets administering these heavy-duty medications that could be lethal," said Honey Gutzalenko, a nurse whose husband died after he was injected with midazolam in 2021 while restrained by police near San Francisco. "It's just not right." The sedation of detained individuals, using powerful drugs like ketamine, has become a widespread but contentious method. Critics argue that it is unsafe and often unnecessary, suggesting that it leads to serious side effects and sometimes death, especially when combined with other restraining methods used by police. Supporters, however, believe that sedatives can help manage drug-related emergencies and protect emergency responders. Despite the potential benefits, the AP report highlights the fatal risks and the lack of thorough scrutiny over the use of these sedatives, which are sometimes administered without proper assessment of a person's medical history or current state. This practice continues to spark debate over its safety, ethics, and the underlying racial biases in its application. "A lot of talk took place on chemical sedation because the cops didn't know what to do with these people," recalled John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, which sponsored the meeting. "Jeff Ho had done some work up in Minnesota. He said, 'Look. I've been using ketamine. It knocks them out quicker.'" The findings by The Associated Press, documenting the deaths of individuals sedated by police, call for immediate and unequivocal action. This practice, rooted in the flawed concept of "excited delirium" and disproportionately targeting Black communities, is not only a medical overreach but a profound violation of human rights. Link: AP News

A video of Metropolitan Police officers in Washington, D.C., examining a Black teenager during a stop sparked a significant online backlash. The incident occurred as the teen cycled through a protest outside the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents Dinner. The police interaction, where officers appeared to be handling the teenager from behind with a flashlight, was widely criticized as invasive. Amidst protests in D.C. against the Biden administration's stance on the conflict in Israel and Palestine, the police justified the stop by claiming the teen was riding dangerously through the demonstration, though he faced no criminal charges. According to the police, the teen was detained for not complying with officers' commands to reroute his cycling path, leading to his brief detainment. They also explained that the officers were merely adjusting the teen's handcuffs, which he complained were too tight. "I was asking 1 of the police officers… why are you arresting a kid who just wanted to bike thru this lane? A spectator said: 'You don't know if this kid was on his way to kill somebody. UDK if he had a bomb or knife or planning to rob someone" Link: Atlanta Black Star

KYRC 2023 Wrapperd Read More 1 hour ago 2 min News AP News Reports On Dozens Of Deaths Due To Injecting Sedatives Into People Restrained By Police Demetrio Jackson, a 43-year-old, died after being sedated and restrained by police in response to a trespassing call in Wisconsin.... 1 hour ago 1 min News Viral Video Shows Police Pulling A Teen's Pants Down & Complete Invasive Search With Flashlight A video of Metropolitan Police officers in Washington, D.C., examining a Black teenager during a stop sparked a significant online... 21 hours ago 1 min News Video Of Frank Tyson's Death At The Hands Of Police Evoke Memories Of George Floyd In Ohio, the release of a body camera video has stirred public outcry, similar to the reaction to George Floyd's death in 2020. The... 21 hours ago 2 min News Ten Years After Flint Water Crisis, A Lack Of Urgency Stalls "Proper Justice" According To Report Ten years ago, the decision to switch Flint, Michigan's water source, to the Flint River initiated a prolonged public health crisis. This... 2 days ago 2 min News 185 Human Rights Groups Demand Universities End Crackdowns on Anti War Protest Nationwide, university campuses have become hotbeds of tension as anti-war protests escalate in response to the Israel-Gaza war. In the... 5 days ago 2 min News Dr. James D. Griffin Becomes First Black President Of Medical Staff At Segregated Hospital He Was Born In James D. Griffin, M.D., has a lifelong connection to UT Southwestern and Parkland Memorial Hospital, beginning with his birth at Parkland... 5 days ago 2 min News Black Man Speaks On Being Attacked By K-9 Over Cop Mistake In Reading His License Plate Information Brandon Upchurch, a 38-year-old man from Toledo, Ohio, reported feeling traumatized after police mistakenly identified his vehicle as... 6 days ago 1 min News 3 Police Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter Over 2021 Death Of Mario Gonzalez Nearly three years after the death of Mario Gonzalez in the Bay Area during an arrest, charges of involuntary manslaughter have been... 6 days ago 2 min News Turning Paige's Islamic Learning Center Owner Wins $4.1 Million Police Brutality Verdict A Philadelphia jury has awarded $4.1 million to Paige Goodin, a child-care center operator in West Philadelphia, for an incident that... 6 days ago 2 min News More Families Come Forward Claiming Deceased Inmates Had Organs Removed Without Their Consent In Alabama, two families faced distressing revelations when they discovered that the organs of their deceased relatives, who were... Apr 22 2 min News Rikers Island Is Violating An 8-Year-Old Court Mandating Access To Education For Incarcerated People Under 22 According To New Court Filings In June, New York City Mayor Eric Adams addressed Rikers Island graduates who earned high-school-equivalence diplomas while incarcerated,... Apr 22 2 min News New Bill Introduced Will Create Hotline For Prisoners To Report Misconduct To An Accountability Office A bipartisan bill set to be introduced on Wednesday aims to enhance oversight of federal prisons, addressing multiple issues, including... Apr 19 1 min News Police Tasered Man Having Diabetic Emergency At Walmart In Spruce Pine, N.C., a controversial police incident involving Dillon Ledford, who was arrested at a Walmart during a diabetic... Apr 19 2 min News Women’s Prison Where Inmates Were Subjected To Sex Abuse Closed By Bureau Of Prisons The federal Bureau of Prisons announced the closure of FCI Dublin, a women’s prison in California notoriously dubbed the "rape club" due... Apr 19 1 min News Deputy Christopher Bingham Faces Multiple Charges For Crimes Committed With Local Motorcycle Gang Christopher Bingham, a deputy in San Bernardino County and a gun store owner, faces charges for leading a double life involving criminal... Apr 19 1 min News Senate Committee Shuts Down Body Cam Transparency Bill A proposed bill in Alabama to make body camera footage publicly accessible was voted down by the state's Senate Judiciary Committee, with... Apr 18 2 min News The Right To Mass Protest In Louisiana, Mississippi & Texas Is Abolished By The Supreme Court The Supreme Court has opted not to review the Mckesson v. Doe case, leaving a lower court's decision intact. This ruling poses... Apr 18 1 min News Lawyers Want Body Camera Footage Of Ex-Police Sergeant Mark Oakley Following 14 Complaints Of Police Brutality Lawyers are pushing for the release of body camera footage from ex-Warrenton Police Sergeant Mark Oakley, who was involved in alleged... Apr 17 1 min News Affirmative Action Ruling Finds Duke University Ending Full-Ride Scholarship Program For Selected Black Students Duke University is discontinuing its Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholarship Program, established in 1979 for top African American... Apr 17 1 min News Morgan Price Makes History As The First HBCU Gymnast To Win National Collegiate Title Morgan Price, a gymnast from Fisk University, made history by becoming the first athlete from a historically Black college or university... 1 2 3 4 5

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS MAY 6, 2017 Held at the DuSable Museum of African American History on May 6, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois, our third Know Your Rights Camp served over 200 youth. Speakers included Ameer Hasan Loggins, doctoral student in African Diaspora Studies at U.C. Berkeley; Yareli Quintana, a certified holistic health coach; Jay Morrison, real estate investor & entrepreneur; and Eliza Solowiej, Charles Jones, and Guillermo Gutierrez of First Defense Legal Aid. We teamed up with Free Write Arts & Literacy to produce our Chicago Resource Guide. SEE YOUR PHOTOS WITH COLIN RESOURCE GUIDE Legal resources Community Gardens Health Services Local Arts College/Career Services VIEW RESOURCE GUIDE