Grant Will Strengthen Organization’s Capacity to Advance Culturally Responsive Black Mental Health Support
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
T-Kea Blackman, MPS, CPRS, RPS
t-kea@blackpeoplediebysuicidetoo.org
BALTIMORE, MD (June 1, 2026) — Black People Die by Suicide Too (BPDBST) has been selected to receive a $15,000 capacity-building grant from The MATTIE Fund: Mindful Advocacy for Totally Transformative Inclusion and Equity. This investment will strengthen the organization’s infrastructure and deepen its impact in communities that have historically been underserved by the mental health system.
The MATTIE Fund is committed to advancing equity-driven change by investing in organizations that center inclusion and transformative advocacy. BPDBST was selected for this grant in recognition of its mission-driven work and its proven commitment to meeting Black communities where they are, with culturally responsive and community-centered mental health programming.
The capacity-building funds will support organizational development, enabling BPDBST to expand its reach, strengthen its programs, and build the long-term foundation needed to sustain its advocacy work for years to come.
“This grant is not just an investment in our organization — it is an investment in Black lives,” said T-Kea Blackman, Executive Director of BPDBST. “For too long, Black communities have been left out of mental health conversations that directly affect us. The MATTIE Fund’s belief in our work fuels our commitment to showing up, speaking up, and building the infrastructure our community deserves. We are not just grateful, we are energized. This is what it looks like when resources reach the people doing the work on the ground, for the community, by the community.”
BPDBST remains committed to its mission of breaking the silence around suicide and mental health in Black communities through advocacy, education, and community engagement. This grant will enable the organization to scale its efforts and continue to honor its mission with excellence.
About Black People Die By Suicide Too: Founded in 2023, BPDBST is a peer-led non-profit organization that focuses on suicide prevention and mental health awareness in the Black community. Through education, advocacy, and peer support, BPDBST addresses the unique challenges Black individuals face related to mental health and suicide, working to create safe and supportive spaces for healing and connection.
About The MATTIE Fund: Mindful Advocacy for Totally Transformative Inclusion and Equity is a donor-advised fund sponsored and administered by the National Philanthropic Trust that was launched in 2024 following a $20 million contribution by Pivotal Philanthropies. Dr. Alfiee was selected by Pivotal Philanthropies to be the fund’s advisor, and it is her intent to utilize the fund to promote the mental health and well-being of girls and women from diverse communities and drive systemic change in the areas of inclusion and equity.
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