Today we’d like to introduce you to Tisa Key. She and her team share her story with us below.
How does Tisa’s story begin?
It’s a hot summer day, and the sounds of a baby crying can be heard from miles away. A young African American woman with worn clothing is struggling, walking fast and carrying a crying baby. After walking miles and miles in the hot sun, the baby suspiciously stops crying. The young woman gets nervous and starts to pick up her pace. She speed walks faster and faster trying intensely to reach her destination.
She finally arrives at the hospital sweating profusely; she yells out for someone to help her with her baby. A nurse runs over to see what all the commotion is about. The woman is out of breath and can barely speak. She just points to her baby wrapped in a dingy blanket. As the nurse pulls back the blanket, it’s revealed that the baby girl has been severely burned on 90% of her body. The nurse looks at the young woman with a disturbing look on her face. She takes the baby away from the woman, as the woman screams. That baby is me!
And so it begins…
Tisa Key is an Author/ Writer/ Director/ Producer/Actor and Advocate born and raised in New York City. She had a detrimental childhood that would affect her growing up. She is a burn and a rape/molestation survivor. After several failed attempts at ending her life, and her friends contemplating, and a few that committed suicide, she has made it her mission to help others in need. Tisa’s gift is dealing with people suffering from suicidal thoughts. 2015 in Atlanta Georgia she put on her first stage play with the same title as her book, TO DIE ALONE: The Suicide Chronicles.
Her book was published at the end of 2017. She did this to bring awareness to the important and serious topic that many don’t like to speak about. Tisa also wants to create dialogue for all communities, especially the Black community, when it comes to the stigma of suicide. That’s one of the main reasons she created her nonprofit “The Me No One Knows.” The Me No One Knows is a nonprofit/501c3 for suicide awareness and prevention through the arts. Tisa is also in the beginning stages of getting her own women’s information/wellness and resource center for suicide awareness and prevention.
This is her calling! Her mission is to save lives one soul at a time.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been extremely challenging. Suicide is a topic that people don’t want to talk about. So anything I’ve tried to do relating to it has been difficult. Especially in the minority community where anything considered taboo, they don’t want to discuss it.
They rather just sweep it under the rug and act like it doesn’t exist. This is the reasoning behind me creating several platforms for suicide awareness and prevention, in hopes that we can continue to create meaningful dialogue on a topic that is so needed in our community.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
The Me No One Knows is rarely new nonprofit/501c3 for suicide awareness and prevention through the arts. It plans to provide suicide awareness in a non-conventional but effective and eclectic way through the arts. I am proud that I have this platform to help save lives.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My niece Taylor deserves the most credit. Without her, tomorrow wouldn’t exist and yesterday wouldn’t be worth remembering. She saved me without even knowing and she loves me without even trying. If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve ended my life a long time ago.
My mom and dad are my biggest supporters along with one of my best friends Vizion Broadnax. I also mentor several young women who played a big part. Helping them overcome and deal with their suicidal thoughts is also therapeutic for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.todiealone.com
- Email: TheMeNoOneKnowsProject@gmail.com
- Instagram: TheMeNoOneKnowsIG
- Facebook: The Me No One Knows
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
