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COMMENTARY: Crying on the Outside, Dying on the Inside

HOUSTON FORWARD TIMES — A beautiful young college freshman, 19-year-old Southern University cheerleader Arlana Miller, spoke about her prior struggles with thoughts of suicide and her feelings of inadequacy, before acting on those feelings by taking her own life.
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“I’ve been dead inside for too long.”

By Jeffrey L. Boney | Houston Forward Times

This expression of despair is one of the many lines extracted from a heart-wrenching Instagram message posted by 19-year-old Southern University cheerleader Arlana Miller on May 4th.

The beautiful young college freshman spoke about her prior struggles with thoughts of suicide and her feelings of inadequacy, before acting on those feelings by taking her own life.

After making the post, reports state that authorities found Arlana’s lifeless body in the Mississippi River, having carried out the act she stated that she had contemplated so many times during her teenage years.

There is a lot to unpack in Arlana’s final Instagram post.

Arlana talked about how the COVID-19 pandemic, tearing her ACL, and nearly failing all her classes contributed to the internal challenges and pressure she faced.

In seeking to further understand the struggles and internal challenges she faced that may have led to her final decision, Arlana wrote:

“I have written so many suicide notes in my life but finally, I’ve reached my end.”

In her Instagram post, Arlana spoke about the suicidal thoughts she had as a young person and the many times she fought against those urges.

“I have fought this urge since my early teenage years.. I gave this life all the fight I had. To everyone who has entered my life I’m so grateful and I can only imagine how this may find you. I have been surrounded by people who may have honestly thought that I was okay, but I haven’t been okay for a while. I struggled so much through just this year alone.”

In a precursor to what she was about to do, Arlana spoke directly to her mother, thanking her and seeking to give her mother peace of mind for the decision she was making.

“MOM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, I pray you know I’m at rest now! You would’ve given anything to see me happy, you have given everything to see me happy. I’m happy in the water where everything is still and peaceful. I have written so many suicide notes in my life but finally, I’ve reached my end.”

The hopelessness and finality to which Arlana speaks about her life and her feelings of inadequacy are hard to ignore, as she declares:

“I always dreamed of becoming so many things that I am today, but they just aren’t enough, I’m not enough. I haven’t felt enough for a while.. but I say all this to say, I’m done fighting, my battle is over and I pray everyone finds peace in that.”

Arlana even speaks about her spiritual detachment from God and how that impacted her, stating:

“I’ve lost my connection to God. The devil seems to have won & that is okay, I blame no one for this!”

As part of her final message to the world, Arlana also took the time to challenge those in her life to express themselves, differently than what she felt she had done.

“To the people in my life, I pray you learn to vocalize your feelings and get help always!!! I failed at that and I’m afraid it’s too late,” Arlana wrote.

Arlana continued her challenge by saying:

“I hope this teaches everyone to check on your “strong” friends, be present always! I’m contradicting myself but NEVER give up!!! I know that I’m letting a lot of people down by what I’m about to do. But… truth is I’ve already let down so many people throughout my life and it just feels unbearable.”

Arlana then goes on to try and comfort her family and friends by letting them know they aren’t responsible for her decision and that they shouldn’t feel any guilt, but she also spoke about how she tried to please others without thinking about herself first. Arlana wrote:

“I thank everyone for all they’ve done & IM SORRY IM SO SO SORRY. But thinking about how everyone else would feel about my death is not enough either, I’ve tried to please and make everyone else happy my entire life.”

As if to indicate that there was possibly one person, her grandfather, that could have changed her mind and helped her make a different decision about committing suicide, Arlana wrote:

“To my grandad… I wish you were here to tell me I’m being stupid, to tell me it’s not worth it, but you’ve left me & found your own peace. I’ve always been stubborn and prideful just like you.”

The first statement delivered by Arlana was “May this day bring me rest and peace,” and although that is what she may have hoped, her decision to commit suicide has delivered the exact opposite reaction from so many of her family and friends, especially her mother, who posted on her daughter’s Instagram account:

“R.I.P To My Daughter Arlana Miller 💔🕊 As A Mother This Is Hurting Me Soo Much. Maybe I Should Have Checked On My Daughter’s Mental Health. I Feel Like Everything is My Fault … I love you & miss you so much baby girl. My heart is in pieces.”

When things like this occur, it brings about a numbness and a feeling of helplessness, with questions swirling in your head, wondering what could have been done to prevent it.

The bottom line is this: Mental illness is real!

You may not be able to see it, but it is real.

It affects the moods and actions of people impacted by it.  No one requested to have this illness, just like a person didn’t ask to contract the COVID-19 virus, or cancer, or any other illness.

People who struggle with mental illness must be treated the same way we treat any other person struggling with an illness, especially one that can be life-threatening as mental illness can prove to be.

Telling someone who is depressed or contemplating suicide that because you care about them, they shouldn’t think or feel that way, is like telling someone who is suffering from asthma that they need to breathe because there is oxygen around them.

We must come to understand that some things are not just that easy, especially if it involves something like mental illness that can’t just be treated with a universal drug or treatment.

The rate of suicide-related deaths was increasing at a high rate among Black youth and Black adults here in the United States well before the COVID-19 pandemic and has gone to an even higher level of increase since the pandemic invaded our country.

Sadly, Black Americans experience mental illness just like any other racial group in America, but the difference is Blacks are more likely to get inferior, inadequate, or simply no treatment at all. This includes Black women, who are usually not included in research studies. Many Black people are also unwilling to seek mental health assistance, primarily because of the stigma surrounding mental health, the lack of qualified Black therapists that they are accessible to, or other issues of mistrust that Black people historically have with the medical industry.

Stories like that of Arlana Miller are heart breaking and emotionally disturbing, but we must do something to address this ever-increasing pandemic of its own, called suicide.

Think about it!  Have you heard anyone in your family or any of your closest friends utter any of the words that Arlana shared in her final Instagram post?

We must be cognizant of the signs and do as Arlana challenged her followers to do…Check on your “strong” friends and be present always.

As we stated, the Forward Times is dedicating the month of May by highlighting the importance of mental health as part of Mental Health Awareness Month.

When we talk about mental health it encompasses many things, such as our psychological, emotional, and social well-being, in addition to how we deal with the daily rigors of the world around us. The way we handle stress, handle relationships, and handle the choices we are faced with, can be directly tied to our mental health status.

The post Crying on the Outside, Dying on the Inside appeared first on Houston Forward Times.

Jeffrey L. Boney NNPA Newswire contributor

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PRESS ROOM: The Allen Lewis Agency Named Ally Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year for 2024

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “This recognition from Ally is deeply appreciated,” said Chandra Lewis, co-founder and COO of TALA. “Receiving Ally’s Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year award is a testament to the strength of our team, our strategic approach and our ability to use relationships to deliver meaningful business results for our clients.”
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DETROIT– Ally Financial has recognized The Allen Lewis Agency, a full-service marketing and communications agency, as its Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year for 2024. The award was given at the Ally 4th annual Supplier Diversity & Sustainability Symposium, on Feb. 29 in Charlotte, N.C.

In 2023, TALA led media outreach and marketing efforts for the fifth anniversary of Moguls in the Making, Ally’s HBCU entrepreneurial pitch competition. It also introduced the brand to new opportunities such as the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), where Ally led a panel on financial education for filmmakers, and leveraged professional connections and years of experience in multicultural marketing to amplify Ally’s partnership with UnitedMasters.

“We are honored to work with Ally and its incredible team members,” said Jocelyn (Allen) Coley, co-founder and CEO of TALA. “The work Ally is doing to bring financial education to a more diverse, multicultural audience through outreach to the creator community aligns with our own passions and priorities. We’re proud to be part of programs such as Moguls in the Making, the American Black Film Festival, and Art Basel, raising awareness within a diverse, often underrepresented audience.”

Ally, the nation’s largest all-digital bank, started its supplier diversity program in 2020 to highlight its commitment to supporting the advancement of an inclusive and sustainable marketplace. The brand strives yearly to increase its spending with diverse suppliers – creating economic value, mobility, and a sustainable future for all.

“When Ally launched its Supplier Diversity program four years ago, our goal was to build an ecosystem of partners and suppliers who truly represented our communities,” said TJ Lewis, Ally senior director of Supplier Diversity and Sustainability. “From the beginning, TALA’s success in forging connections between Ally and minority-focused media has greatly expanded the visibility of our brand to the audiences we most want to reach. Their work is worthy of recognition.”

“This recognition from Ally is deeply appreciated,” said Chandra Lewis, co-founder and COO of TALA. “Receiving Ally’s Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year award is a testament to the strength of our team, our strategic approach and our ability to use relationships to deliver meaningful business results for our clients.”

About The Allen Lewis Agency:

The Allen Lewis Agency (TALA) is a full-service marketing and communications agency committed to helping clients build their brands and expand their business through a range of services including strategic brand development, media relations, diversity, equity and inclusion, advertising, events and reputation management. Founders Jocelyn (Allen) Coley and Chandra S. Lewis bring more than 40 combined years of corporate experience with a breadth and depth of services that are unmatched. Now in its eighth year in business, TALA is a certified Minority Business Enterprise, Women Business Enterprise, Women-Owned Small Business and a certified Association of National Advertisers diverse supplier that has employed a national team of experts who have decades of experience servicing major brands with positive measurable results. Learn more about The Allen Lewis Agency at https://www.theallenlewisagency.com.

The post PRESS ROOM: The Allen Lewis Agency Named Ally Supplier Diversity: Supplier of the Year for 2024 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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OP-ED: A Silent Killer No More

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Data from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City shows that more than 13 percent of African American men between the ages 45 and 79 will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes. And Black men have a 70 percent higher rate of developing prostate cancer than White men. The American Cancer Society also shockingly predicts that Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than their White counterparts.
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By Hamil R. Harris, NNPA Contributing Writer

Political provocateurs are determined to stir up controversy over Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s failure to tell President Biden about his treatment for prostate cancer. Yet, his desire to keep the matter private—and out of the public eye—is in line with what many men, particularly men of color, have done for decades. The reticence to share details of a medical condition is understandable, but prostate cancer is a silent killer in the Black community and the time has come to give it a voice.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose son Dexter recently passed from prostate cancer, I ask: How long? How long will Men of color suffer in silence and die alone? How long will too many brothers hide their plight?

When he finally commented publicly about his condition, Austin offered regrets about keeping silent and then made an important pledge. He said that by not initially disclosing his diagnosis, he “missed an opportunity to send a message on an important public health issue,” while noting the prevalence of prostate cancer, particularly among Black men. Encouraging all men to get screened, Austin promised, “You can count on me to set a better example on this issue today and for the rest of my life.”

Any cancer diagnosis is a private matter. But men like Dexter King and Austin can help so many others who are prone to prostate cancer. Keeping the surgery and treatment a secret would only have continued to add to the stigma surrounding prostate cancer. That would have been a disservice to the thousands of men of color diagnosed annually.

Indeed, data from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City shows that more than 13 percent of African American men between the ages 45 and 79 will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes. And Black men have a 70 percent higher rate of developing prostate cancer than White men. The American Cancer Society also shockingly predicts that Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than their White counterparts.

These figures are appalling when considering that prostate cancer is one of the most treatable forms of the disease with the five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with it being greater than 99 percent if the cancer is detected during the early stage.

While there are numerous reasons for why this disparity between Black and white men exists – decades of structural racism, environmental issues, certain comorbidities, different molecular pathways in the body of Black men – a great deal of the reason comes down to the fact that Black men are disproportionately not being screened for prostate cancer as early or as regularly as White men.

A recent study published in JAMA Oncology by a team at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center found that Black men get fewer PSA (prostate specific antigen) screenings; they are more likely to be diagnosed with later stage cancer; they are less likely to have health insurance; and they have less access to high-quality care and other disparities that can be linked to a lower overall socioeconomic status.

Given his platform as Secretary of Defense, I am happy that Austin recognized his duty to be open and honest about his battle with this disease. And in doing so, he now joins groups and individuals who are already working on spreading awareness for prostate screenings who can act as guideposts.

For example, Mount Sinai Medical Center recently unveiled the Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit, which will visit New York City neighborhoods where men could be at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.  The mobile home sized bus is named after the African American philanthropist and venture capitalist who donated almost $4 million to launch the program. Smith, who has led many philanthropic endeavors aimed at supporting the African-American community, obviously realizes that it takes a preemptive approach to combat the scourge of prostate cancer by going directly into the communities most affected by the disease. In announcing the prostate screening initiative, Smith tied it to larger inequities in our society that leave African Americans behind. “It’s unconscionable that in our great country and at this moment of technological breakthrough, Black Americans are still subject to staggeringly worse health outcomes,” he said. “We can fix this.”

Thankfully there are individuals like Smith and now Austin to use their platforms to spread awareness for this deadly – yet very treatable – form of cancer and ensure that more people don’t die needlessly.

Hamil R. Harris is an award-winning journalist and contributing writer for the NNPA

The post OP-ED: A Silent Killer No More first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Chevrolet and National Newspaper Association Offer Summer Internship: Discover the Unexpected Fellowship

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The importance of diverse storytelling has never been more evident, and Chevrolet, in partnership with the NNPA, is committed to empowering the next generation of storytellers. By offering this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the DTU Fellowship seeks to make a lasting impact on both the individuals selected and the media landscape. The application window for the DTU Fellowship closes on April 1, 2024.
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By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

In a bid to amplify Black voices and highlight diverse stories, Chevrolet, in collaboration with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), invites budding journalists, content creators, and communications enthusiasts to embark on the summer internship of a lifetime through the Discover the Unexpected (DTU) Fellowship.

The DTU Fellowship is geared towards students of historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are passionate about storytelling and eager to contribute to the media landscape. This opportunity offers a platform for aspiring journalists and provides financial support in the form of a $10,000 scholarship and an $8,000 stipend.

One of the key aspects of the DTU Fellowship is the chance to collaborate with some of the largest and most influential Black-owned newspapers in the community. The collaboration aims to bridge the gap between emerging talents and established media outlets, fostering an environment of mentorship and shared knowledge.

The selected DTU fellows will embark on a transformative journey beyond conventional internships. This experience promises exploration, learning, and, most importantly, amplifying their voices. The fellowship recognizes the unique perspectives of HBCU students and aims to provide a platform for these voices to be heard.

What sets the DTU Fellowship apart is the hands-on guidance and mentorship provided by industry professionals who understand the power of diverse perspectives. Fellows can elevate content and gain career-building knowledge through interactions with seasoned journalists and media experts.

The importance of diverse storytelling has never been more evident, and Chevrolet, in partnership with the NNPA, is committed to empowering the next generation of storytellers. By offering this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the DTU Fellowship seeks to make a lasting impact on both the individuals selected and the media landscape.

As the application deadline approaches, interested individuals are encouraged to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity. The application window for the DTU Fellowship closes on April 1, 2024. The tight deadline emphasizes the urgency and exclusivity of the opportunity, urging potential applicants to act promptly.

The Discover the Unexpected Fellowship by Chevrolet and the National Newspaper Association represents a unique chance for HBCU students to receive financial support for their education and gain invaluable hands-on experience in collaboration with influential Black-owned newspapers. By taking part in this transformative journey, aspiring journalists have the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on the media industry. Don’t miss out on the chance to elevate your content and amplify your voice – apply before the April 1, 2024 deadline!

The post Chevrolet and National Newspaper Association Offer Summer Internship: Discover the Unexpected Fellowship first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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