September 12, 2025
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
AframNews.com
Vol.30, Issue 34
FREE
African-American News&Issues
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
THE POLITICAL POWER OF THE BLACK PURSE By: Roy Douglas Malonson
THE SILENT CRISIS By: Roy Douglas Malonson
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and while the nation highlights the importance of mental health, too often the Black community is left out of the conversation. But the numbers don’t lie—our people are hurting. Suicide rates among African Americans, especially our youth, are rising at a frightening pace. Behind those statistics are families torn apart, lives cut short, and a community that’s been told for generations to keep quiet about pain that runs deep. We don’t like to talk about mental health. We were raised to “pray it away,” to “be strong,” to keep our business in the family. But silence has become deadly. When our sons and daughters are leaving this world before their time, when our brothers
are drowning in depression, when our sisters carry unbearable weight alone, ignoring this issue is no longer an option. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that suicide is now the third leading cause of death for Black youth ages 15 to 24. Even more alarming, research published by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that suicide rates among Black children ages 5 to 12 are nearly twice as high as those of White children in the same age group. From 2018 to 2021, the rate of suicide among Black youth increased by almost 37%, one of the steepest rises of any racial group. And it’s not just the kids.
Crisis on pg. 3
They don’t fear our protests. They don’t fear our hashtags. What they fear most is our money. In 2025, the Black community holds an estimated $1.6 trillion in annual buying power—a number so massive it could rival entire nations. Yet, instead of building power, our dollars are being weaponized against us. Every time we pour money into corporations that don’t hire us, don’t bank with us, and don’t reinvest in our neighborhoods, we are financing our own oppression. And that’s exactly how they like it. Look around at today’s economy. Companies rush to drop Black Lives Matter ads in election years but quietly cut diversity budgets when the cameras turn off. Politicians beg for our votes but refuse to fight for Black business protections, banking reform, or the racial wealth gap. They love our loyalty at the polls and in the checkout lines—so long as we never wake up to how much leverage we really have. History taught us this lesson before. The Montgomery Bus Boycott wasn’t just a civil rights story—it was an economic revolution. They didn’t fold because of speeches; they folded because Black dollars stopped flowing. Imagine if today we boycotted one major corporation that profits off our culture while giving nothing back. The stock market would shake, and Washington would notice. That’s why they work overtime to keep us distracted with gossip, division, and consumer traps. Here’s the raw truth: they fear a conscious Black dollar. They fear us asking why Read more at luxury brands charge us thousands aframnews.com