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Biography

Rafiah Maxie-Cole (she/her) is a mother, licensed clinical social worker, and the visionary founder of Soul Survivors of Chicago.

On May 27, 2020, Rafiah’s 19-year-old son, Jamal, died by suicide—just two days after George Floyd’s death, eleven months following his high school graduation, and four months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Confronted with this profound loss, she channeled her grief into action, honoring Jamal’s memory by amplifying stories of those affected by suicide and trauma in the African-American community.

Through Soul Survivors of Chicago, NFP, Rafiah champions suicide prevention, mental health education, and cultural healing. She confronts stigma head-on, advocates for more robust mental health resources, and challenges systems to address communities impacted by suicide.

As a powerful storyteller and producer, Rafiah has brought pivotal conversations to life in documentaries such as:

We Cry Your Tears: The Jamal Clay Story (2021)
Makes Me Wanna Holla: Healing From Loss, Learning From Tragedy & Finding Recovery
While the Children Fade (2024), winner of multiple awards and recognized for shedding light on social disparities and the mental health crisis within the African-American community.

Beyond her films, Rafiah is building partnerships, designing trauma-informed programs, and mentoring young leaders—ensuring that every voice, including her son’s, echoes forward into collective healing.

Looking ahead, she’s exploring deeper collaborations with school, faith and civic leaders, and expanding Soul Survivors’ reach so that no family faces loss in isolation. She is a proud graduate of Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) and Southern University at New Orleans School of Social Work.

HER WORK HAS BEEN FEATURED BY:

Chicago Sun Times- September 30, 2023 Front Page story “Cook County’s Black Suicide Surge”
NAMI South Suburbs Chicago
2025 APA Conference- Presenter
2025 KLEO Community Family Life Center Award Honor
University of North Carolina- Stronger Together Conference Panelist
2024 Woman of the Year- Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated
PBS NewsHour: Disparities in Mental Health- Race Matters segment
National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS);Duke University
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated International Leadership Conference-Panel Speaker
Bowen, E., Chen, Z., Lozano, M., Abiodun, O., Rodgers, C., & Turner, M., Co-Facilitators: Macbeth, M. & Rosado, S., Moderator: Gill, T. (2025, July). Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership (ICMHP), Youth Council State-wide Mental Health Recommendations 2025. Invited guests for Panel Discussion from the ICMHP Board Members at the ICMHP Quarterly meeting for a virtual presentation.
2023 Cultivate. Restore. Empower: Reclaiming Joy in the Black Community Conference-Panel Speaker
ESSENCE Magazine - “The Kids Are Not Alright” May/June 2022 Edition
Congresswoman Robin Kelly #IL02 Local Hero Spotlight honoree #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
National Association of Social Workers- IL Chapter Speaker Series: “It Take a Village to Raise a Child…and a Child to teach a Village: Lessons Learned from a Social Worker who lost their child by suicide”
American Psychological Association (APA) National Conference Presenter Goodwill, J.R. & Maxie, R. (2022). Suicide among Black youth and young adults in Chicago: Insights from a researcher and survivor. American Psychological Association Conference. Minneapolis, MN. -
National Board of Certified Counselors- Honorary Presenter June 2022 Washington, DC
Illinois Department of Public Health- ISPA Board Member
Mental Health Academy 2022 Suicide Prevention Summit- Presenter
American Association of Suicidology - Presenter April 2022
Harvard University Alumni of Color Conference- "Planting the Seeds: Fostering Pathways for Equitable Mental Healthcare”- Presenter March 2022
InsightHealth Podcast
NPR Kaiser Health News Podcast- Science Friday edition- 2021
Black News Channel - Featured Guest September 2021.
Chicago Southtown 2022
Chicago Tribune 2021
WVON 1690 Radio 2022
Chicago Crusader American 2021
NoStima Podcast 2022
Therapy Thursday Podcast 2022
Detroit/Wayne Integrated Health Network- Suicidology Conference Keynote Speaker
“Regionally Speaking” Podcast 2022
2022 National Loss Team Conference- Fort Wayne Indiana - Keynote Speaker

EDUCATION

Rafiah is a native of the South Side of Chicago (Auburn Gresham) community. She is graduate of Rich Central High School (1993); Southern University and A&M College (BSW - 1998) and completed her Masters Degree in Social Work from Southern University at New Orleans, New Orleans Louisiana (2000).