Date

8-29-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Theresa C. Allen

Keywords

Silent Grief Among Black Christian Women

Disciplines

Counseling | Education

Abstract

Grief is an inevitable part of life. When grief-related emotions or behaviors do not align with societal attitudes, grief may become disenfranchised, causing the griever to become silent. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe Black Christian women’s experiences with silent grief in a Midwestern U.S. state. In this research, silent grief was synonymous with disenfranchised grief. Kimberle Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory guided this study, providing insight into the intersection of religion, culture, and mental health challenges in the grieving process of Black Christian women. Data collected via in-depth participant interviews underwent analysis using Gadamer’s hermeneutics. Despite literature addressing grief and disenfranchised grief with established interventions and coping strategies, few scholars have addressed the unique spiritual and cultural journeys and coping mechanisms of Black Christian women experiencing silent grief. This study addressed the emotional impact of silent grief among Black Christian women by exploring their lived grief experiences. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) we don’t talk about that, (b) split loyalty, and (c) intentional grieiving space. The findings provide a theoretical and empirical basis for informing future research and discussions on silent grief.

Download

Share

COinS