My Brother’s Life Mattered: A Scholarly Personal Narrative of Grief from an African Nova Scotian Woman’s Perspective

Abstract

This qualitative study used Black feminist theory (BFT) and Scholarly personal narrative (SPN) methodology to explore grief from the perspective of an African Nova Scotian woman. Using my personal narrative of the unexpected passing of my brother Dashonn Jondell States on June 22, 2017. According to my experience I created four overarching themes that shaped and influenced my grief. The four themes; grieving when you aren’t the ideal victims, grief at the intersection of race, gender, place and socio-cultural norms, but he was my little brother and creating a reason to continue provide insight into how anti-Black racism and other socio-contextual factors influence the perception of the deceased and bereaved while grieving. Additionally, findings provide knowledge into how ANS’s attempt to discover meaning from their loss as a means of coping and maintaining contact with the deceased. Finally, the study contributes necessary insight of the unique ANS grieving experience.