The Impact of Disenfranchised Grief on African American Communities
Disenfranchised Grief (DG) occurs when a loss is stigmatized or is not socially validated. At the core of disenfranchised grief is empathy. While empathy is a complex construct, research has shown that empathy is impacted by racial identity, bias, and discrimination. Therefore, empathic failures (or the lack of empathy) come at a high cost for many grieving African Americans. Following the death of George Floyd, the concept of “linked lives” began to trend on social media. Highlighting the interconnectedness of social networks, linked lives suggests that individuals are influenced by a historical consciousness among their ethnic/racial group, leading to a collective grief experience for many communities. Through this presentation, participants will learn more about the concept of linked lives, how the perpetuation of empathic failures can result in disenfranchised grief for African American families, and some sociocultural attuned interventions to support African American clients amid their grief.
About the Presenter
Doneila McIntosh, M.Div., M.A.
Doneila McIntosh M.Div., M.A., is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota in Family Social Science with an emphasis in Couple and Family Therapy. Doneila has a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) in Theological Studies and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (M.A.). She is psychotherapist at the African American Child Wellness Institute (AACWI) in Minneapolis. A systemic interventionist, Doneila primarily works with couples and families, specializing in compassionate grief therapy helping clients navigate the intersections of trauma, grief, and loss. She is a trained in a variety of modalities including Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness Self-Compassion (MSC). Doneila’s research explores the intersections of trauma, grief, and racial discrimination among African American families.