ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Petersburg community came together to address the urgent crisis of rising youth suicide and mental health issues, particularly among Black youth, at the 2nd annual Six Thirteen Youth Mental Health Awareness & Suicide Prevention Resource Fair on Saturday.
Over 250 people attended the event, which was hosted by Keshawn’s Korner, a non-profit that provides support for people facing mental health challenges.
14 different local counseling, crisis intervention, and support organizations were among those who attended.
According to the non-profit, the national suicide rate rose 144% between 2007 and 2020 among Black youth. Suicide attempts that needed medical attention between those same years increased from 3.4 to 11.8 per 100 black youths, and between 25% and 30% of Pinellas youth are affected by anxiety and depression.
Keshawn’s Korner said, “This event was more than a typical resource fair. It was a beacon of hope and healing, designed to spark joy while fundamentally changing the conversation around mental health in our community.”
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
