Narratives of Grieving African-Americans About Racism in the Lives of Deceased Family Members

Abstract

As part of a comprehensive interview study on African-American grief, the authors explored how racism is incorporated into narratives about a deceased family member. To the extent that experiences of racism are pervasive in African-American life and to the extent that narratives about a person who has died generally account for the life experiences, achievements, character, and challenges faced by the deceased, the authors expected narratives about a deceased African-American to deal with the person's encounters with racism. In fact, most of the 26 African-Americans who were interviewed spoke about racism in the life of the deceased. Many talked about racism blocking the deceased from getting ahead occupationally and in other ways and about how the deceased resisted or stood up to racism. Some people spoke about the ways the deceased taught them to deal with racism. The narratives that indicated that the deceased had rarely or ever talked about racism still made clear that the deceased lived in a racist world but chose not to bring racism into family conversation. The findings suggest that a view of African-American grieving that is insensitive to racism in African-American experience may lead to unhelpful grief support or counseling.

African Americans in Bereavement: Grief as a Function of Ethnicity

“…Bereaved African Americans may also be acutely aware of the ways in which discrimination both denied their loved ones opportunities and contributed to their deaths. In coping with death, African Americans may experience a range of emotions engendered by the racism experienced by the deceased, including anger and resentment (Rosenblatt & Wallace, 2005b). Grief over the loss of a loved one, then, may often be compounded by the realization that the deceased should have had a better, longer life.…”

“…Nationally, African-American men and women live approximately six fewer years than Caucasian men and women, with a mean age of 72 years for African Americans of both sexes (National Center for Health Statistics, 2004). One consequence of a diminished lifespan is that in addition to expecting their own lives will be shorter, African Americans are also more likely to experience the premature loss of a loved one (e.g., a parent, spouse, sibling or child) (Rosenblatt & Wallace, 2005b). Additionally, African Americans are also more likely to experience the death of a close family member or relative, particularly through homicide (Center for the Advancement of Health, 2004;Kochanek, Murphy, Anderson, & Scott, 2004).…”

“…According to year 2000 U.S. census data, African Americans are victims of homicide at a rate of 22.3 per 100,000 and Caucasian death due to homicide occurs at a rate of 2.3 per 100,000 (Kochanek et al, 2004). A unique history of poverty, racism, and oppression has likewise placed untold stresses on African Americans that may well contribute to the unique ways in which African Americans experience death and dying (Holloway, 2003;Rosenblatt & Wallace, 2005b).…”

Of Broken Bonds and Bondage: An Analysis of Loss in the Slave Narrative Collection

“…In Rosenblatt and Wallace's (2005) qualitative study of bereaved African Americans, interviewees discussed direct racism as a cause of the death of their loved ones. One participant talked about the way his stepfather had died as a result of exposure to Agent Orange in his service in the Vietnam War.…”

“…In the only known study of its kind, Rosenblatt and Wallace (2005) explored how the modern narratives of bereaved African Americans dealt with racism. Their research supported the conclusion that narratives about racism in the life of the deceased ''might address deprivation, loss, and pain that hampered and shaped the life of the deceased.''…”