Tami Bridges left her house for only 90 minutes. When she returned home, the mother made the most horrifying discovery: her son, 10-year-old Seven Bridges, had killed himself during the short time she was out.
Jeffrey was even younger. His parents said he loved dressing up in superhero costumes and had big dreams for the future. He was wearing a one-piece Batman pajama suit when he ended his life. He was just seven years old.
What is precipitating so many prepubescent Black boys and girls into killing themselves at rates not seen before in American history? Why are Black children committing suicide at twice the national rate as their White counterparts?
Television news journalist Madison Carter will attempt to answer some of these questions while hosting the “A Different Cry” special that airs live on Tuesday evening, Feb. 1, 2022. The show represents the culmination of the three-part investigative report on Black pre-teen and teen suicides that began airing on Tegna stations and properties on Jan. 23.
Carter brings a certain sensibility to this poignant topic that enables her to empathize with the still-grieving parents. Carter’s family is still in the process of trying to close the gaping emotional wounds after her sister died unexpectedly when she was a child, which was decades ago. Subsequently, Carter knows the searing pain of sudden loss, how it can cause interfamilial strife, and how the tragedy is permanently imprinted on a person’s soul like a tattoo.
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