Kevin’s Song’s 9th Annual Suicide Conference Highlights Suicide Prevention and Cultural Barriers in the Black Community Jan 23-25

Image courtesy of Kevin’s Son Wayne County-based nonprofit Kevin’s Song will host its 9th Annual Conference on Suicide from January 23-25, marking Michigan’s largest gathering focused on suicide prevention and survivor support. The event will unite educators, mental health professionals, students, business leaders, and survivors to address one of the state’s most urgent public health crises and work toward actionable solutions. This year’s conference theme, “Creating and Supporting Lives Worth Living,” reflects the organization’s mission to explore strategies to prevent suicide and support those impacted by it. Keynote presentations and breakout sessions will address suicide prevention through multiple lenses, providing attendees with insights into mental health, cultural barriers, and survivor resilience. Among this year’s distinguished speakers is Jennifer Johnson, who sits on the Board of the American Foundation Society for Suicide Prevention, whose work focuses on addressing suicide within the Black community. Her advocacy stems from her personal experience with her godfather, who died by suicide in 1988, and a deep commitment to dismantling cultural taboos that hinder conversations about mental health. “I’ll talk about the whole scope of suicide among Black and African American communities. I& just want to speak about that in general, and touch on how that...