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By : Tanoy Burton
4 min read
On September 11, DeeDee’s Cry will host its first walk– I’m Still Here: A Walk of Celebration for Suicide Attempt Survivors. As an attempt survivor, founder Toy Burton feels that it is important to celebrate those who choose life, as well as to support those who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts. You do not have to be a suicide attempt survivor to join us in celebration.
Register to walk using this link: www.tinyurl.com/stillherereg
DeeDee’s Cry Suicide Prevention & Family Support was founded in 2017. The name is a tribute to Burton’s big sister, Denita Morris, who died by suicide at the age of twenty-three in 1986. Burton herself is a suicide attempt survivor. She has struggled with her mental health, suicidal ideation, drugs, and alcohol for many years, but has been clean and sober for over twenty-four years.
Burton founded DeeDee’s Cry after she noticed that organizations that focused on suicide prevention weren’t giving enough attention to Black and Brown people. Her organization aims to build community, raise awareness, and normalize conversations about suicide and mental health amongst people of color, believing that when we share our stories, we chip away at the stigma that surrounds mental health and suicidal ideation.
DeeDee’s Cry connects the community to the resources. The organization provides workshops, community events, and activities that promote mental health education and healing, particularly in communities of color. In addition, they also host a YouTube channel of videos of virtual conversations about a number of topics including children’s emotional health, men’s mental health, and the series Mental Health While Black. DeeDee’s Cry believes that most adults do not address their childhood traumas, and although no one is to be blamed for their traumas, we are responsible for our own healing. They also host an ongoing peer support group called Healing Begins With Me. Those interested in connecting should email deedeescry@yahoo.com for more information.
—DeeDee’s Cry
Originally published in-print in Boston Compass Newspaper #150 September 2022
Check out all the art and columns of September's Boston Compass at www.issuu.com/bostoncccompass