Our Mission is simple.
Normalize the conversation about suicide in the black community, provide hope and resources.
meet your co-hosts
t-Kea blackman, mps, cprs
Described as an inspiration, her heartfelt and powerful story is a testament that anyone can thrive despite having a mental illness. T-Kea Blackman, MPS, CPRS, is the founder of the Mental Health Empowerment Agency, and its mission is to dismantle the mental health stigma and raise awareness of suicide prevention through curated events, individual and group peer support, digital and social media, and educational trainings. She is a mental health trainer, consultant, speaker, author, and certified peer recovery specialist who lives by the Toni Payne quote "I'd rather be living my truth happily than living a lie miserably."
T-Kea was featured on NBC, 96.3 WHUR, Good Morning Washington, and on a billboard in Times Square NYC for the "I Am" Campaign with the Quell Foundation for suicide awareness and prevention. She previously hosted the Fireflies Unite with Kea podcast with a mission to bring light into darkness (just like the fireflies) by sharing stories of black people thriving with mental health conditions. T-Kea was featured in a mental health mini-documentary produced by AbbVie, and received the Program Leader of the Year Award by The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Maryland.
She wrote her first book, Saved & Depressed: A Suicide Survivor’s Journey of Mental Health, Healing, & Faith to educate her community on mental health and encourage them to seek treatment. Her articles have been published on The Mighty, Urban Faith, Blavity, and 21 Ninety. Making a digital footprint, her articles have garnered over 60,000 views and encouraged individuals to seek treatment. She was appointed by the Governor's office to serve on Maryland's Behavioral Health Advisory Council, participated as a cast member, and co-produced This Is My Brave: Arlington Show, a storytelling show for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders to share their recovery stories.
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She earned a master's degree in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University and is a proud graduate of Howard University where she obtained a bachelor's in communications and media.
jordan scott
Jordan Scott lives with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. She was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in the predominately African-American suburbs of Prince George’s County, Maryland. She knew from an early age that she wanted to help others live happy and productive lives. In 2012, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Georgia State University. That same year, she was involuntarily hospitalized for suicidal thoughts during her last semester of undergraduate studies. Thus, her journey into mental health recovery began.
Never one to shy away from social issues, she's worked with at-risk youth in juvenile detention and inner-city schools, justice-involved adults navigating life post-conviction and incarceration, low-income families in need of social services, and individuals living with mental health and/or substance use disorders. She also worked in both the emergency room and a residential substance use treatment program helping individuals learn the skills to maintain their sobriety.
In 2020, she earned a Master's degree in the Administration of Human Services from Wilmington University. She is passionate about mental health and is dedicated to reducing the stigma surrounding suicide.