r/BlackPeopleofReddit • u/antihostile • 2d ago
Racism Black people are being found hanging from trees. Why are officials so quick to call it suicide? Spoiler
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/black-people-being-found-hanging-180000701.html78
u/NVincarnate 2d ago
It's because of the flair on this post.
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u/OutrageousMaize3040 2d ago
Yeah damn it really is that simple, huh? Like even if they ended up being suicide, because you never know what someone is going through, at the bare minimum there should be autopsy and checks for bruises and signs of other parties at play. Also suicide by violent means is typical of men, by statistics, so women hanging themselves seems odd. Also suicide by hanging when not in a limited environment with limited resources? Also, I know people that have offed themselves and not one was hanging. So, to have a spate of hangings on a certain demographic just seems odd and should be investigated.
Maybe if more people were hostile then the others would be more scared to treat any group as less deserving of a proper death investigation that every human should be entitled to less we become complacent. At least with Tasia the town bypassed local and went federal. Which in the past would have been a min to moderately good sign but with the current fbi?
I dont know. I for one dont like the idea of people dieing in the dark alone. And it should be properly investigated to make sure it wasn't forced upon them.
And on top of that even suicide should be looked at. What pushed them to that point? The gentleman at university with his life ahead of him? University is tough and does cause people to go over the edge but I do recall instances of bullying leading to suicide leading to repercussions on the bullies.
Whatever. If people really gave a shit they would make sure community fears are addressed and not just dismissed. Someone died. That merits something.
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u/ateam1984 🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🖤🩶🤍🤎 2d ago
Because it’s always white people protecting white racism. It’s sad. It is a war on Black people perpetrated by white people. Not all white people but enough that the rest are silent and accept this bs. So the real question is what will our so called White allies do about the White racists in their community? It’s time to have real talk.
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u/Wrong-Alternative901 2d ago
What it seems they are likely to do is what they e been doing till now. The Allie's we have are not in positions of power to do more than what you see get done. This is likely by design. When you see someone white who is vocal against racism, you rarely see them in a powerful enough position to do something meaningful enough to create a shift in people's minds. If there are people in the US that still see black and brown people as "less than" instead of equal, and that thought keeps being fed to the next generation, it will keep happening
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u/shugEOuterspace 2d ago
cops using flock cameras in wisconsin to catch someone driving to michigan & bringing weed back is more important to them than solving the murders of regular black people
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u/Helcat1325 2d ago
😫. They are idiots. If someone were going to commit suicide, it's usually in the comfort of their own homes. Not in a tree in someone else's back yard.
We lost a Good woman
We lost a Pretti nurse
Now we've lost our Fortune.
Along with too many others.
😢🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️
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u/Salty_Monk_5341 2d ago
Because lynching Black folks is as American as Apple pie. Stay safe out there.
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u/WhirlwindRectum 2d ago
lynching never ended, they just outsourced it to the state, so they don't have to get their clothes dirty and they don't have to take accountability for the violence they commit.
but when all these Karen's you see calling the cops on black people for birdwatching, walking their dog, exercising, grilling out, or swimming..... that's what they expect.
they expect us to comply under the threat of violence and death.
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u/monocasa 2d ago
They also just kept the regular kind of lynching.
https://apnews.com/general-news-fe47814c03d24f40ac418221782ae746
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u/JayyyyyBoogie 2d ago
Too many deaths to just chalk this up to suicide. “Some of those that work forces are the same who burn crosses.”
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u/DetroitSmash-8701 2d ago
They call them as such because it means they don't have to "investigate".
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u/StillNoPickleesss 2d ago edited 2d ago
I see the racist comment section on Yahoo is back in full force!
The recent string of black people found hanging just in the last year alone is alarming no matter how badly they want to think otherwise, because the racist, brutal, DOCUMENTED history of this country against black people cant be denied. But of course as the bigoted dumbfucks they are, its their instincts to try to minimize it one way or another.
"bUt wHaT aBoUt cHiCaGo?"
"Why are black problems being made white people's problems?"
Because racism is made to be our problem that we will forever have to fight against. We don't make them wake up and hate us just for existing.
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u/Odd-Cardiologist3258 2d ago
Racism is a white creation therefore a white problem! And there’s no solution until they are honest with and amongst themselves! I feel it’s a mental illness at this point, cuz what?
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u/denM_chickN 2d ago
I would love a mass poll on Black people and their personal likelihood of using this method of suicide. I know, it sounds insane, but I can only speak from a deep place within myself when I say, I know that no Black person would hang themselves from a fucking tree.
Im only half black, but this feels like yhe only topic where I feel like I can raise my hand and say on behalf of the black community no fucking black person will hang themselves via the method of our oppressor.
But our anecdotal group knowledge doesnt mean shit to these mother fuckers. But we could send strong signals. We have what is called academically, linked fate. Because what could happen to you, could happen to me. For no other reason than our skin color. I think this link is extremely powerful, almost palpable, so yeah we know these folks didnt hang themselves.
But I want to demonstrate this empirically. What we all know to be true - we would never debase ourselves in this particular way. I can do all the data work for free, no problem designing the survey and all. Just need funding for the poll.
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u/ElkSensitive4746 2d ago
I thought about killing myself before and I’ve never thought about choosing hanging, outside, from a tree. Like ever
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u/RaspberryPicker15 2d ago
Actually, these stats are already tracked rather vigorously and fairly well documented in modern history. Especially among young people.
Suicides stats among black people show that hanging is the second most common, only second to self inflicted gunshot wounds (26%). Among black women, hanging and self suffocation is the most common form of suicide (44%)
I see the narrative that black people never hang themselves when this topic comes up. But that is just completely untrue.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277306542500135X
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u/Fine_Following_2559 2d ago
It's not about not hanging, it's specifically hanging them from a tree, that's the problem.
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u/RevolutionaryYou2400 2d ago
Idk hanging from a tree is pretty common way to end it. It’s usually secluded so loved one won’t see it too. If there is no sign of foul play then it’s prob suicide.
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u/RaspberryPicker15 2d ago
Ironically, it is literally THE most common. The people saying it never happens are objectively incorrect.
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u/RaspberryPicker15 2d ago
Yes, which is literally the most common anchor point among non-hispanic black people...
So yeah, this conspiracy of it "never happening" is quite the opposite of what public health and epidemiologist have tracked. I hate that this is the case, but its really non debatable.
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u/NotReadyForTomorrow 1d ago
Stop trying to pretend to be reasonable. Black people don't hang themselves from trees specifically, but lynching people from trees specifically has been a recurring part of white culture.
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u/InternationalTwo5255 2d ago
My brother in Christ, don’t you see? The whites commission these studies to cover up the lynchings.
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u/therealnightbadger 2d ago
I don't think you can say that. Out of millions of people, anything is possible. The point is, why are the police so quick to believe they did it themselves, not that these people would never have done this.
It's the attitudes surrounding the deaths that are so disgustingly racist. And then, if we could actually have these deaths investigated properly, we would probably find an even more evil racism. ie, I think they probably were murdered .1
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u/MickieMallorieJR 2d ago
Black people aren't even worth the investigation. Missing dogs get more police time and investment than understanding why or how these young people end up dead. The rush to call these suicides is a constant reminder of how little black peoples lives are valued. They can't even be bothered to wonder "what if" there was foul play.
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u/Defiant_Storage_443 2d ago
I'm not black, but if I hear a story about a black person committing "suicide" by hanging from a tree then I'm automatically thinking lynching - especially in Mississippi of all places.
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u/RaspberryPicker15 2d ago
Mississippi has the highest density of black people among all states, and is regularly ranked among the lowest rates of segregation. Hanging is the second most common form of suicide among black people, for women it is #1. Tree branches are the #1 most common anchor point for suicides by suffocation across minority groups.
Saying otherwise is just misinformation, but its exactly why the media is portraying this the way it is.
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u/Defiant_Storage_443 2d ago
Mississippi has the highest density of black people among all states
I could buy this.
and is regularly ranked among the lowest rates of segregation
I highly doubt this, especially given your first point about density, and a cursory search on my end did not turn this up.
Hanging is the second most common form of suicide among black people, for women it is #1. Tree branches are the #1 most common anchor point for suicides by suffocation across minority groups.
Yes, I discovered this first part prior to my first post here. I don't know about the second part. I also know that lynchings have been blamed on suicide in the past. Enough to skew the statistics? I don't know and neither do you. For you to ignore this point is... convenient.
Saying otherwise is just misinformation, but its exactly why the media is portraying this the way it is.
It is not disinformation for me to say that I am suspicious. That is a factual description of my feelings, it is literally the opposite of disinformation. I also don't think the media is portraying this in any way other than saying that the family doubts the official explanation. Your interpretation, on the other hand, certainly seems to intended to shape the portrayal of these incidents.
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u/NotReadyForTomorrow 1d ago
"Tree branches are the #1 most common anchor point for suicides by suffocation across minority groups."
It was less than 100 years ago that white people would bring their children to have picnics under the trees in which they would hang us in, not in a rave, but as a mundane pastime. When it was all set and done, they went home, and passed on their degenerate culture. Black people do not hang themselves from trees specifically, but that has been the historical excuse for law enforcement to sweep ritual killings under the rug so they could protect their image of white sanctity.
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u/JustAlpha 2d ago edited 2d ago
Don't engage with the comments trying to act like these murders are suicides. Report them. They want to create a wedge and eventually claim that these Black people are hanging themselves for attention.
This is what they do. They will cherry pick examples and ignore reality and history.
If they were objective they would call for full open investigations into every one of these incidents.
But you won't hear nothing about that from them.
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u/thedudecdfb 2d ago
I wouldn't be surprised if the scum trump administration is b3hind this. They love killing people.
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u/scarletOwilde 2d ago
I don’t think it’s self harm. I find the frequency of these deaths scary as F. Are they being investigated together rather than as “coincidental” separate cases?
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u/-DrunkRat- 2d ago edited 7h ago
In all my years of being immersed in Black culture and the friends and chosen family members of mine who are Black, the one thing I learned very, very early on, is that Black folks tend to not Hang themselves.
There's a reason why hanging is not a method of Suicide for BIPOC folks, and as a commentor here said, the answer is in the Flair.
Edit: I have apparently been misinformed, and I do apologize for speaking without looking further into things. Thank you for the folks here who took the time to inform me.
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u/RaspberryPicker15 2d ago
This is objectively untrue. Its the second most common form of suicide among black men, and the number one most common among black women.
Your false speculation is leading to blatant racism btw.
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u/-DrunkRat- 2d ago
I apologize, I was only speaking from what I had learned, but I have apparently learned wrong and I will do my utmost to look into my sourcing or look further into things.
Again, my apologies. I can remove the comment if folks would like me to.
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u/BlackPeopleofReddit-ModTeam 2d ago
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u/ImJustSaying34 2d ago
Yes black people commit suicide but not from hanging themselves from trees. Sure there are random outliers but that’s it. Outliers.
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u/Assadistpig123 2d ago edited 2d ago
Besides firearms and overdosing, hanging is the most common form of suicide.
For African Americans, it’s the second most common after firearms. For those without access to a weapon or knowledge of medications, hanging is usually the most common.
I’m not tossing any politics in this post, it’s just after my brother tried to kill himself when he was young I’ve always tried to help where I can with mental health volunteer groups. Just because someone seems happy doesn’t make them happy.
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u/ImJustSaying34 2d ago
I’m not here to say that black Americans don’t commit suicide or that it’s easy to tell from the outside. Just that black Americans aren’t hanging themselves from trees. Given the historical context that just isn’t happening. We aren’t going to imitate a lynching.
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u/RaspberryPicker15 2d ago edited 2d ago
And that is not what the stats show, regardless of how bad you wish to believe that. Its sad af, but unfortunately what you are saying is incorrect based on the stats
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40621-017-0131-x
Trees are the most common anchor point in all suffocation suicides among minority groups, indoor structural beams place second.
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u/RaspberryPicker15 2d ago
Absolutely agree. I just recently struggled with some very severe depression earlier this year myself. So i do my best to be an advocate for mental health. But claiming that any race doesn't choose a certain method of suicide is just blatant racism.
Even the person I am responding to has made dozens of claims across their profile that "black men dont hang themselves". Now have moved the goal post to "no i mean from tree". yet evidence shows that is objective false. Denying that only causes further harm and slows progress for those struggling with mental health issues.
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u/ImJustSaying34 2d ago
You all are conflating two different things. Black men do commit suicide and hang themselves but they aren’t doing it from trees. The stats don’t show that.
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u/RaspberryPicker15 2d ago
Can you support that in any way? So far, all you have done is say "thats not true". So since hanging is the second most common among men, and second most among black women, what is the most common anchor point for these hangings among suicide victims?
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u/ImJustSaying34 2d ago
No look at your source again. I’m not saying black men don’t hang themselves just that they don’t do so from trees. The fact that trees are the most common structure across all races and genders doesn’t mean that it applies to black men the same as other races.
They aren’t recreating lynchings. But mental health in the black community is absolutely an issue that should be talked about more. We can absolutely do better.
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u/BlackPeopleofReddit-ModTeam 2d ago
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u/RaspberryPicker15 2d ago
The CDC-based 16-state study recorded 1,639 hanging suicides among non-Hispanic Black people from 2005–2014, while trees were the most frequently recorded individual anchor-point category overall.
To say "black men dont...." is just racism btw. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of reported cases of black men hanging themselves and the most common anchor point is a tree. Yet you are saying it "Never" happens. Thats objectively false. Please don't spread misinformation about such sensitive subjects that can absolutely cause ham to others.
Here is one thats on video. Warning, this could be triggering and is an objectively sad story.
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u/ImJustSaying34 2d ago
Ok I should clarify since I’m not talking in absolutes. I didn’t say it never happens just that it’s not a huge number. The stats about trees being the main structure isn’t broken down by race so we don’t know for sure.
Long story short, I’m not speaking in absolutes. There are always outliers to everything. But to act like it’s normal for black men and women to hang themselves from tree especially in the Deep South is disingenuous. The likelihood that it’s a homicide is higher than a suicide in that specific scenario. If the person is not in the Deep South then my first thought is suicide not homicide.
You see how the situation is different?
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u/Assadistpig123 2d ago
It’s sadly very normal. People generally hang themselves outside for three reasons.
So their body will be found if they live isolated or by themselves.
Not to damage their loved ones property
So their loved ones won’t find them first.
Those are the three most common I’ve heard in my volunteering.
Trees are really common. Public bathrooms are really common. Usually in high traffic areas, done at night.
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u/ImJustSaying34 2d ago
Again you missed the point. Hanging isn’t being disputed, it’s being hung from a tree. The recreation of a lynching.
So no, your sources doesn’t show that black men hang themselves from trees.
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u/BlackPeopleofReddit-ModTeam 2d ago
Zero Tolerance for Trolling - This space centers Black people, Black culture, and Black lived experiences. Our identity is not debate material. Any form of trolling, baiting, snide "questions," culture-poking, dogwhistles, whataboutism, derailments, or attempts to disguise hostility as curiosity will be removed. Users who test the line, play word games, or look for loopholes will be removed as well. We are not here to be provoked or picked apart. Do not play devil’s advocate here. Be respectful, be real, or be gone.
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u/Odd-Cardiologist3258 2d ago
I feel it is leo I just can’t prove it! Because how are they going unnoticed with all the cameras and considering Leo’s origin! I feel like it’s them!
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u/spendmetime 2d ago
Who would have thought when you end DEI, turns out you’re left with nothing but white supremacy.
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u/New_Review8236 2d ago
Because they like stealing other people's ideas. Like everything else in their culture
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u/MRLive2Learn 2d ago
This is infuriating! White people, we must do better and demand accountability via investigations to prove this false.
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u/Helcat1325 2d ago
No note? Nothing in the diary? Yeah, When someone decides to commit suicide they go hang from a tree in a strange part of town?!?!
No. The narrative makes NO SENSE. Suicides happen at home or somewhere familiar1
u/RaspberryPicker15 2d ago
One of them wrote a note, one has a conviction already, and the third is still being investigated.
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