Why are more Black kids suicidal? A search for answers.
Joe was 17 when he decided life wasn’t worth living.
He was tired of the violence in his Boston neighborhood, where his older brother had spent more than a year recovering from a gunshot wound to his leg. And he was especially tired of the comments about his weight.
“You think you can sit on that chair?” his classmates would ask.
Other times they were more direct, saying simply: “You’re fat.”
“Sometimes I’d be so depressed I wouldn’t eat for three days,” said Joe, now 25, who was a lineman on his high school’s football team.
(Joe’s surname and that of another young person interviewed for this article are being withheld to protect their privacy. Joe is being identified by his middle name.)
He thought about ending his life if the bullying didn’t stop. Those thoughts eventually became so pervasive that one day he came home from school and took a small handful of pills. But it was enough only to produce a bad stomachache.
Months later, he was still feeling depressed. “Let me go see a therapist. My head’s not right,” he told his father. “I’m having these thoughts of killing myself — that you’d all be better without me here.”
Joe still remembers his father’s response: “That’s not true. We love you. But you want to talk to somebody and tell someone that? They’re going to think you’re crazy.”
Over the past generation, a mental health crisis has been brewing among Black youths like Joe, one that very few people — including Black families — have spoken about publicly.
Self-reported suicide attempts rose nearly 80% among Black adolescents from 1991 to 2019, while the prevalence of attempts did not change significantly among those of other races and ethnicities.
Legislators and academics are now pushing for better research to understand why, especially in light of new evidence that suggests Black chil
looking to book appearances, and he already has 65 events lined up.
Among them are gigs at the Downtown Container Park and Cowboy Christmas, the western-themed shopping extravaganza affiliated with December’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
After a year self-isolating at the North Pole, Santa is also ready to greet children at some area shopping malls.
Santa will be on hand at the Fashion Show mall on the Strip and at the Galleria at Sunset mall in Henderson, both of which are operated by Brookfield Properties.
The company uses a New Jersey-based firm called Cherry Hill Programs to provide its Santas.
Vaccination is required for Cherry Hill Santas, with regular testing for those with medical or religious exemptions, according to the company.
“Santa is so back, and we are super excited about that. Last year was incredibly tough,” said Cherry Hill spokeswoman Chris Landtroop, whose company sources Santas for some 800 malls, big-box stores and other locations.
At Fashion Show, Santa was on hand last holiday season, but was socially distanced from customers.
This year, the situation is different, said Esther Sarpong, marketing manager for the mall. Based on health and safety standards in Las Vegas, children can get cozier with Santa, she said.
“We have shoppers who are used to getting their photos taken with their favorite beloved Santa,” Sarpong said. “We have families who come to Las Vegas every holiday season and make sure to get their photos at our mall.”
Santa will be available for photos near the Neiman Marcus Court through Dec. 24, with special days for pet photos with Santa on Nov. 29, Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20, Sarpong said.
In partnership with an organization called Autism Speaks, Fashion Show will also host a “sensory friendly” Santa photo session from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Dec. 5 and Dec. 12.
At Galleria at Sunset, as with
Fashion Show, customers are encouraged to go online to book photo appointments with Santa through Dec. 21, according to the mall’s website.
At Town Square mall, photo availability with Santa started Sunday. It was among local malls to have live Santa appearances in 2020.
At the Las Vegas South Premium Outlets, Santa will be available for photos beginning today, according to a spokesman for Simon Property Group, the company that owns the mall.
In Downtown Summerlin, holiday parades featuring Santa will take place beginning at 6 p.m. every Friday and Saturday until Dec. 18. The parades were called off last year because of the pandemic.
“The holidays feel extra special given many holiday events were put on pause last year,” said Halee Harczynski, marketing manager for Downtown Summerlin. “We can’t wait to celebrate the season with everyone.”
Santa photos are available daily through Christmas Eve in Downtown Summerlin at the
Santa Claus Chalet at Macy’s Promenade.
At nearby Tivoli Village, a daily “winter wonderland experience” through Dec. 30 will include a chance for children to get photos standing next to Santa, who is required to be vaccinated.
Before the pandemic, children from more than 10 million U.S. households visited Santa in a mall or store in 2019, according to Globaldata Retail’s managing director, Neil Saunders.
Last year, the company’s research found 6.1 million households visited Santa, with fewer retailers and malls offering the holiday star in person.
Saunders said projections this year have about 8.9 million households expected to visit Santa in person, with virtual visits still a big option.
“Lingering concerns about the virus and ongoing restrictions in some states and localities continue to act as a brake on visiting Santa in person,” he said.
For the second year in a row, the Boulevard Mall in Las Vegas will not offer photos with Santa, instead offering pictures with holiday-themed backgrounds.
“Things are still dicey this year,” said Patrice Donley, director of marketing and community relations for the mall. “We just felt like it was the right decision to not have kids sit on Santa’s lap. We’re not criticizing other people and what other venues want to do; that was just our decision.”
The Southern Nevada Health District recommends anyone appearing in public as Santa receive their COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, spokeswoman Stephanie Bethel said. They should also wear a mask — Clark County remains under an indoor mask mandate — and maintain “as much social distancing as they can.”
“Santas and event planners working with the Santas should follow all COVID-19 guidelines and recommendations, including getting tested, washing their hands often and staying home if they are sick,” Bethel said.