This conversation explores death, anticipatory grief, remembrance, ritual, and the ways Black communities have long cared for one another before, during, and after loss. Together, we will reflect on why speaking openly about death matters and how we honor the lives, stories, and presence of those we have lost.

We will also explore what it means to grieve someone who is still here, the rituals we inherit and create for ourselves, and how remembrance can become an ongoing practice. At the center of the conversation is how we build personal and collective ways of holding people through grief, rather than rushing them out of it.

Meet Our Facilitator:

Darnell Lamont Walker is a death doula, Emmy-nominated writer, and author whose work lives at the intersection of creativity, care, and transition, this conversation explores death, anticipatory grief, remembrance, ritual, and the ways Black communities have long cared for one another before, during, and after loss.

Darnell supports individuals and families in holding love, memory, and connection at the end of life. He also creates stories and spaces that help people of all ages make sense of grief, joy, change, and other big emotions. His writing credits include Karma’s World, Work It Out Wombats!, and Blue’s Clues & You, and he is the author of Never Can Say Goodbyefrom HarperOne.

Drawing from his work across death care, storytelling, and community gathering, Darnell will guide a reflection on why speaking openly about death matters, what it means to grieve someone who is still here, and how we honor the lives and stories of those we have lost. Together, we will explore the rituals we inherit and create, remembrance as an ongoing practice, and how we can hold people through grief rather than rushing them out of it.

At the center of the conversation is the question that guides Darnell’s work: What would it look like to tend to one another well?