Hey, y’all! This weekend I relived my middle school days as a diehard Emo Kid by going to an emo/pop-punk dance party in Brooklyn. And I’ve got to say, it made me feel some sort of way. It was weird, singing and dancing along to the angsty songs that I used to sing and dance to alone in my room -- now as a (kind of) adult, with a crowd of people who surely did the same. Take it from me, things do get better, and we’re never really as alone as we may think.

That’s also the message that a lot of folks (including a few celebs) are trying to express this Suicide Prevention Week. Read on to hear more about what people are doing to address suicide and mental health, the artists stepping up for the Bahamas, and how a fourth-grader’s t-shirt design ended up becoming college gear.

(If you’re struggling with emotional or suicidal distress, reach out to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.)

- Jackie

Person consoling friend and holding their hand

National Suicide Prevention Week Reminds Us That We Are Not Alone

September 8-14 is National Suicide Prevention Week. A team of celebrities, including Lizzo, Halsey, and Shawn Mendes, kicked off the week with Entercom’s “I’m Listening” radio special, where they shared personal stories about suicide and mental health.

Other artists, like Hayley Kiyoko and Lindsey Sterling, are empowering young people to have conversations with their friends about mental health. And it is an issue that affects a lot of young people in particular -- suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15- to 29-year-olds (with higher risk for LGBTQ+ youth).

The good news is, there are a lot of efforts going on right now to address this crisis. Schools are implementing mental health days and teacher trainings, workplaces are introducing mental wellness initiatives, and the Federal Communications Commission is suggesting a three-digit number for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Take Action: Suicide prevention starts with us. Follow some of these suggestions from #BeThe1To:

Share the 5 Steps to helping someone in a crisis
Thank someone who has been there for you in a difficult time
Add to the conversations happening on social media about suicide prevention
Hang up posters in your school to spread the word that we can all take action
Donate to your local crisis center

Celebrities Are Stepping Up For the Bahamas in the Wake of Hurricane Dorian

A week after Hurricane Dorian hit the Abaco Islands, the extent of its damage is hard to account for, though it left behind destruction and a known death toll of 44.

Relief efforts are underway, and a number of celebrities are supporting the people of the Bahamas as they rebuild and recover. Some are helping out financially, like Rihanna using her limited edition Savage x Fenty collection to facilitate donations to emergency response grants, or the $100,000 Ludacris raised for the Bahamas with his LudaDay Weekend event.

Others are sending much-needed supplies -- Tyler Perry even used his personal plane to make shipments of water, hygiene products, and sleeping bags.

Take Action: Share ways to donate money and goods through the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation.

Bullies Mocked This Fourth Grader’s DIY Shirt -- Now It’s Official University of Tennessee Merch

A Florida fourth-grader showed up to his school’s College Colors Day wearing a homemade shirt repping the University of Tennessee, and a group of students made fun of the pinned-on “U.T.” sign that he had drawn himself.

His teacher posted about the incident on social media, asking for help in cheering up her student. It went viral, eventually reaching the university, which sent over a package of UT merch to the student and his class. Then they went a step further, announcing a new shirt featuring the student’s design, with a portion of their sales going towards the not-for-profit STOMP Out Bullying.

Take Action: It takes 5 positive affirmations to cancel the impact of 1 negative message. Cancel bullying by spreading good vibes at your school!

“For a while, I believed that that was all I was. I had to force myself to relearn my real name, my identity. To relearn that this is not all that I am.” - Chanel Miller, coming forward in her new book as the survivor at the center of the
Brock Turner sexual assault case

Why aren’t more people talking about… the Minnesota school district being sued for reportedly doing nothing to stop racist abuse and bullying?

Meanwhile, in Canada… Indigenous women are still being sterilized without their consent.

My heroes today are… the DC students organizing against dress codes that disproportionately target Black girls.

My *other* heroes today are… the Philly teens redefining the sport of polo through the Work to Ride team.

Today in viral cuteness… watch Pip the Dachshund grow up in this 15 second video.

I’m obsessed with… this rendition of K.K. Slider from Animal Crossing singing Billie Eilish’s song “Bad Guy.” I know, this is VERY niche content, but I hope at least one of y’all is as excited about this groundbreaking intersection of pop culture as I am.

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