The Silence Around Black Women & Suicide

Image by Freepik

Today’s episode of The Divested Diary is a heavy one. Suicide is something we all know is serious — but too often, when it happens, people respond with judgment instead of empathy.

It’s easy to tell someone, “Just log off,” but that’s not real life. Pain doesn’t stop at the screen. Some people are battling loneliness, trauma, toxic homes, or caregiving stress behind the scenes. Logging off won’t stop what’s already breaking their spirit.

As a Black woman, I need to be honest: I’ve had those same dark thoughts. People assume success or followers protect you from pain — they don’t. Even the most “together” people can be struggling to stay alive.

Two women come to mind: Tyra Skye Spaulding, a Miss Universe Jamaica contestant, and Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia‑Bailey, a respected university vice president. Both accomplished. Both admired. Both gone. Their stories remind us that no amount of achievement cancels out despair.

When a Black woman says she’s tired of living, it should be taken as seriously as when a veteran calls a crisis line. Yet we’re often told to “pray,” to “be strong,” or to stop being dramatic. That “Strong Black Woman” label is killing us. If we were truly unbreakable, we wouldn’t keep losing our sisters.

This episode isn’t about going viral — it’s about awareness. Black women are human. We cry, we hurt, and we need compassion just like anyone else.

To every Black woman fighting to stay here: I see you, I understand you, and your pain matters.