Mental Health: The Voiceless Killer Part 1

A title that’s heavy… because it should be.

Because the pain people carry in silence—especially in grief—

can affect the mind, the body, and the soul.

And when ignored, dismissed, or untreated…

it can become deadly.

 

So we begin where the silence often starts—with grief.

 

What is grief?

It’s more than just sadness.

Grief is the emotional and spiritual response to loss.

It is love with no place to land.

And no—it’s not just about death.

 

We grieve relationships,

we grieve dreams,

we grieve the life we thought we’d have.

 

But how do we know when someone is grieving?

Or even more importantly—how do we know when we are?

 

Grief doesn’t always look like tears.

It can be isolation.

Exhaustion.

Frustration.

Or pretending we’re okay when we’re not.

 

For children, it can show up in behavior,

in sleep,

in mood swings or sudden changes.

 

And for adults—especially Black men—

grief can get buried beneath strength,

beneath silence,

beneath the belief that emotion is weakness.

 

Today, we ask the deeper questions:

What are the five stages of grief—and do we all go through them the same way?

Is there anything good that can come from grief?

How do we grieve after a sudden, traumatic loss?

How do we support a grieving child?

 

And most importantly—

how do we begin to normalize pain,

so it doesn’t become the voiceless killer?

 

To guide this conversation,

Mr. Barry L. Doughty, Jr.

sits down with our special guest,

Dr. Al Hogwood—

a Doctor of Education,

a passionate educator,

mental health advocate,

and organizational leader

with a deep commitment to building inclusive, supportive environments.

 

Dr. Hogwood brings not only professional expertise,

but real-life perspective to what grief and mental health look like in our communities.

 

We’ll also talk about the role of the village—

family, friends, and community—

and how vital they are in the healing process.