Understanding African American Grief

From Love to Justice: Families’ Interrogation of Racial State Violence

“…There are significant similarities in both black British and black American communities’ vulnerability to racial state violence. Rosenblatt and Wallace argue that ‘the history and contemporary experiences of African Americans provide unique elements for meaning making about…death and [that] racism is often implicated in African American death and grief’ (Rosenblatt and Wallace, 2013: xiii). As illustrated above in relation to the British context, the history of British colonialism, and corresponding changes to immigration and nationality laws have made, and continue to make, the lives of racialised people increasingly precarious, and exposed them to disproportionate and fatal police violence.…”

“…In their analysis of interview data, Rosenblatt and Wallace note that ‘[t]here is a sense that grief is at times not only about the specific loss but about slavery and about other forms of oppression that followed slavery and that, in many cases, have continued up into the present’ (Rosenblatt and Wallace, 2013: xx). In their interviewees’ articulations of their experiences of grief is the idea that through their loss, and their grief, both they and the person they are grieving regain the humanity that white society has always denied them.…”

“…I think that's part of the reasons why reparations are so important too, is that they are associated with our grief systems…we won't get free until we revisit and reclaim our right to grieve. And we’ve got to grieve both individually and collectively (Rosenblatt and Wallace, 2013: xx-xxi).…”

“…Rosenblatt and Wallace note, ‘African American grief occurs in the context of a substantially shorter life expectancy than is true for whites’ (Rosenblatt and Wallace, 2013: 1) and that racism frequently plays a part in the cause of death of black Americans today. They write, ‘[r]acism leads directly or indirectly to greater poverty, a less healthful environment, poorer health, fewer physician visits, poorer pregnancy care, poorer nutrition, and poorer access to health care…racism is also the key to understanding why African Americans are more likely to lack health insurance than are whites’ (Rosenblatt and Wallace, 2013: ibid).…”

“…Rosenblatt and Wallace note, ‘African American grief occurs in the context of a substantially shorter life expectancy than is true for whites’ (Rosenblatt and Wallace, 2013: 1) and that racism frequently plays a part in the cause of death of black Americans today. They write, ‘[r]acism leads directly or indirectly to greater poverty, a less healthful environment, poorer health, fewer physician visits, poorer pregnancy care, poorer nutrition, and poorer access to health care…racism is also the key to understanding why African Americans are more likely to lack health insurance than are whites’ (Rosenblatt and Wallace, 2013: ibid). Along with medical and industrial racism, they also note that, ‘[d]irect experiences of racism and such indirect effects of racism as housing deficiencies, lack of jobs, poverty may so stress the cardiovascular system, the immune system, and other bodily systems as to jeopardize health…Toxic waste dumps and chemical plants that emit hazardous chemicals into the air and the water table are located in places where a relatively high percentage of the people living in the nearby danger zone are African American’ (Rosenblatt and Wallace, 2013: 8).…”