Grief and life span -- Racism as a cause of death -- Racism and discrimination in the life of the deceased -- Visitations, wakes, and funerals -- African American institutions for dealing with death -- How people talked about grief -- Grief soon after the death -- Meaning making -- Grief over the long run -- The family grief process -- God -- Being strong in grief -- Continuing connection with the deceased -- Talking about it, crying about it with others -- Our grief and theirs: African Americans compare their grief with Euro-American grief -- Understanding African American grief.