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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.

Rest In Power Nigel Shelby ?

A 9th grader from Huntsville, Alabama. Nigel died by suicide after experiencing relentless bullying at his school. 74% of LGBTQ youth report not feeling safe in the schools they attend. We have to do better for LGBTQ youth.https://t.co/e0R5Vx8oio pic.twitter.com/7xgAS2GXqw

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.

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