Digging Deeper: A Talk about Why and How African-Americans are Dying at an Alarming Rate

NEW YORK - May 13, 2014 - PRLog -- Filmmakers Squeaky Moore and Kenneth “KT” Nelson, along with executive producers Terrie M. Williams and Mari Yanuzzi, are hosting the “Face of Darkness” - Journey to Healing event at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 in New York City at 6 p.m. Kristen L. Pope, mental health advocate, former ABC affiliate reporter/anchor and host of the new web show The Positive Controversy (http://kristenlpope.com/category/positive-controversy/), will be emceeing the event.  The purpose of this event is to bring awareness to the issues of mental health and suicide in the Black community, to erase the stigma of mental illness and seeking treatment and to celebrate and raise support for the forthcoming documentary, “FACE of DARKNESS”.

The night of inspiration includes performances by renowned Malcolm Low Formal Structure Dance Company and spoken word artist Hakeem Rahim, a mental health advocate and founder of Live Breathe, LLC. Also performing are recording artist Ayana George, spoken word artists Shaheed “The Beacon of LIGHT” Woods and Darren Arthur, andpoet/writer Kino Jackson.Admission is free, but attendees must RSVP via the Journey to Healing event page at www.FaceofDarknessDocumentary.com. Reservations close Sunday, May 18 at 5 p.m.

IMPORTANT FACTS TO KNOW

Suicide statistics among African-American males are staggering, plunging the Black community into a state of emergency.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (May 2, 12014), the annual, age-adjusted rate of suicide among adults aged 35-64 years increased significantly to 28.4 percent from 13.7 in 1999 and 17.6 in 2010.  Of this percentage, African-American males make up nearly one-third of the people who are dying from suicide.  Many are now calling for action to find ways to save the lives of Black males.

The CDC most recently reported that 2,144 African-Americans died from suicide in 2010, of which 1,755 were male, a shocking rate of more than 80 percent. These gut-wrenching statistics are the reason for the “FACE of DARKNESS” filming and for the Journey to Healing event.  The “FACE of DARKNESS” documentary features mental health specialists Terrie Williams and Dr. Jeffrey Gardere and exposes the rising suicide and depression rates plaguing African-American males.

Another prominent figure in the Black community, Karyn Washington, was most recently a victim of suicide as she helped to combat colorism.  Because of her suicide, there are more personal conversations about mental illness among African-Americans taking place.  This documentary serves to place the issues of mental illness and suicide on a platform for the purpose of exposing the myths of what many consider to be a stigma in the Black community and to uncover the truth: that there is hope and there is healing.

For more information, interviews, or to request credentials for the event, contact Danielle Wright at info@wright-relations.com. To view the documentary trailer visit http://www.FaceofDarknessDocumentary.com.


About “FACE of DARKNESS”

After the suicides of friend and actor Lee Thompson Young and Hampton University alum, Yusuf Neville, Moore and Nelson resolved that it was time to raise awareness about the issues of mental illness and suicide that are taking an increasing number of African-American males captive.  The film exposes the mental health illness and suicide epidemic in the Black community in an artistic fashion and seeks to enlighten the public and encourage people to seek help for themselves or loved ones.