There Is Hope: 8 Black Public Figures That Overcame Suicidal Thoughts

September 10, 2024

The following story may contain trigger words for some. Please read with discretion. If you or someone you know is suffering through a mental health episode, the 988 Lifeline is now active across the United States. This new, shorter phone number will make it easier for people to remember and access mental health crisis services. You can also dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255) as well.

Even for the most physically fit of us, life can sometimes become so trying that it feels unbearable to carry on. Having suicidal thoughts is something that many Black Americans share at an alarming rate, and too many of us aren’t getting the message in time that it does in fact get better with help and guidance.

We were inspired by how important that message is thanks to a recent moment of revelation by Los Angeles Clippers guard John Wall, who opened up candidly about how the last few years of his life brought him to the point of contemplating suicide.

Thankfully, support from his teammates and immediate family enabled him to address those feelings openly as a way of getting help for himself in addition to encouraging others who might be in his situation.

“I thought about committing suicide. Tearing my Achilles, my mom passing, my grandma dying a year later, in the midst of COVID. Me going to chemotherapy, sitting by my mom taking her last breaths wearing the same clothes for 3 days straight.”

John Wall on his last 2-3 years pic.twitter.com/Kr01c2lqrb

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“Darkest place I’ve ever been in,” Wall said during a garden dedication at the Salvation Army of Wake County a few weeks back (seen above) in tribute to his late mom, Frances Pulley. He continued by adding, “At one point in time, I thought about committing suicide. I mean, just tearing my Achilles, my mom being sick, my mom passing, my grandma passed a year later, all this in the midst of COVID and at the same time, me going to chemotherapy, me sitting by my mom taking her last breaths wearing the same clothes for three days straight laying on the couch beside her.”

Speaking on his situation in particular, Wall added, “We’re all going through times, nobody’s got it easy, but I don’t think a lot of people could get through what I went through.” He went on to reiterate the importance of support being a key factor in overcoming such a dark burden, further stating, “To get back on top where I want to be and seeing the fans still want me to play, having the support from my hometown, this important period means a lot. I went to find a therapist. A lot of people think, ‘I don’t need help, I can get through it at anytime,’ but you’ve got to be true to yourself and find out what’s best for you.”

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We thank John Wall for his strength and honesty in sharing such a dark period of his life with the world. Stories like his, along with other celebrities who’ve overcome suicidal thoughts, could do a lot in helping reverse an alarming rate of deaths by suicide amongst Black Americans currently affecting our community.