When 29-year-old YouTuber Desmond “Etika” Amofah lost his life to suicide earlier this year, one of his final messages to his fans was simply: “I know this world’s gonna forget me.”
His final video before his death touched a lot of people, and arguably none more so than fellow YouTuber Double A. Double A set about making sure that the world is definitely never going to forget Etika – by working to create a stunning mural on the streets of Brooklyn.
Double A teamed up with New York web designer Abe Hunter, along with a handful of skilled artists, to create the 40 foot mural. The mural features Etika smiling broadly alongside some Nintendo Joy-Cons (the emblem used for his fandom), the Super Smash Bros. symbols and one of his most-famous quotes: “Take care of yourself. Have yourself a damn good one!”
Local mural and graffiti artists “BKFoxx” and “kestaadm” are the ones responsible for the beautiful memorial, along with the help of “jmzwalls.”
The duo had both previously met Etika, and have since gone on to raise over $11,000 for the US National Alliance for Mental Illness in Etika’s name.
Speaking to Kotaku, Hunter said: “People are still mourning and not over it. It’s not a mural to glamorise his death or the negativity. It’s more his life and getting the message out there that we can talk about mental illness. It’s not a taboo subject.”
You can visit the mural for yourself at 1280 Myrtle Ave. in Brooklyn.
Around 200 young people die by suicide every year, says mental health charity, Samaritans. Samaritans is a UK-based charity dedicated to reducing feelings of isolation and disconnection that can lead to suicide. If you need someone to talk to, contact Samaritans here.
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