Race/Related: A Young Black Student Takes His Own Life

‘We must be better.’ View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Saturday, April 27, 2019 [More Race/Related »]( [Pierre-Antoine Louis]( [Pierre-Antoine Louis]( Last week, Nigel Shelby, a 15-year-old black student at Huntsville High School in Alabama, killed himself. His [family]( said he had been the target of homophobic bullying. I remember when I was a young black boy in high school like Nigel. I was ridiculed and called homophobic slurs that, at such a young age, I hardly understood. I remember grappling with the feeling that I was different from my peers. According to the [Center for Social Equity]( a nonprofit organization based in South Carolina, [74 percent]( of L.G.B.T.Q. youths say they do not feel safe in the schools they attend. Many students don’t feel comfortable telling their teachers about the bullying they experience because they fear it will lead to more bullying. They don’t bring it up with their parents because they don’t want to deal with questions they are not quite ready — or able — to answer. I also remember how being both black and gay made all of this worse. I was fighting both racism and homophobia while also trying to figure out who I was. I bottled up all my emotions hoping that someone would notice how much pain I was in and hear my cry for help. Sadly, for some of us, that cry is never heard. Nigel’s untimely and tragic death is a reminder of the urgent need for more research to help us better understand how racial disparities affect the national suicide crisis. [Studies show that black children]( take their own lives at a rate that is nearly twice as high as white children. “Parents, please talk to your students about Nigel’s death,” Aaron King, the principal of Nigel’s school, said in a [statement](. “Know and be aware of changes in your child. Talk to them about what they see, words they speak and actions they can take to make a difference. We must be better.” We must do better. Editor’s Picks We publish many articles that touch on race. Here are a few you shouldn’t miss. [Native Americans Find Surprising Ally in N.J. Fight: Trump Administration]( By SARAH MASLIN NIR The Ramapough Lenape Indians accuse Mahwah, N.J., of using zoning rules to violate their religious freedom. [How These Black Playwrights Are Challenging American Theater]( By MICHAEL PAULSON AND NICOLE HERRINGTON Jackie Sibblies Drury, Jeremy O. Harris, Antoinette Nwandu and Jordan E. Cooper, on influences, gatekeepers and helping “the young black theater nerd find work that looks like them.” [Unchecked ‘Hate’ Toward Rep. Ilhan Omar Has American Muslims Shuddering]( By JOHN ELIGON Muslim voters are becoming a more significant part of the electorate, but some fear a loss of momentum as controversy surrounds the congresswoman. [Tiger Woods and President Trump Seem Tight. Does It Matter to You?]( By THE NEW YORK TIMES Most black athletes have distanced themselves from the president. Not Tiger Woods. [Texas Executes White Supremacist for 1998 Dragging Death of James Byrd Jr.]( By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON John William King was put to death for the murder of Mr. Byrd, a 49-year-old black man who was dragged behind a truck for miles in an act of unfathomable brutality. [The Racial Bias Built Into Photography]( By SARAH LEWIS Sarah Lewis explores the relationship between racism and the camera. ADVERTISEMENT Invite your friends. Invite someone to subscribe to the [Race/Related]( newsletter. Or email your thoughts and suggestions to racerelated@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our [newsletter help page]( or [contact us]( for assistance. Want more Race/Related? Follow us on Instagram, where we continue the conversation about race through visuals. [Instagram]( [INSTAGRAM]( FOLLOW RACE/RELATED [Instagram] [racerelated]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Race/Related newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2019 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018