Hope, Support and Mental Health Wellness for Black Women in Birmingham

By Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson | For The Birmingham Times April Simpkins’s life was forever changed when her daughter, Cheslie Kryst, a model, lawyer and television personality and Miss USA (2019) was lost to suicide three years ago. Cheslie Kryst, a model, lawyer and television personality and Miss USA was lost to suicide three years ago. (Wikipedia) Kryst, who according to her mother “was an incredibly humble woman who loved to give back to the community.” Simpkins said news of Cheslie’s death sent her family into a tailspin and she lost her appetite as a trauma response, even though she is very health conscious. (Simpkins is preparing to run the New York marathon this year for a third time). Simpkins also consistently worked with a counselor to cope with the trauma as she “just settled Cheslie’s estate in December.” On Friday, Simpkins was part of a panel moderated by Dr. Nadia Richardson, founder of Black Women’s Mental Health Institute (BWMHI), during its second annual luncheon at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens sponsored by the Birmingham Association of Realtors. The panel also included Meesha Emmett of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (Alabama Chapter), and Tiffany Storey, Founder of Storeyhouse Counseling and Consulting. Attendees...