Table Talk: Reimagining a Year of Firsts
Join us for a virtual session filled with compassion and guidance as we navigate the first year of grief. Losing a loved one can be an overwhelming and challenging experience, and this session aims to provide support, insight, and hope. While all are welcome, this is a dedicated container to center BIPOC voices.
Hear and learn from Drs. Chinasa Elue and Julie Shaw as they address the unpredictable nature of grief, focusing on the unexpected moments that can catch us off guard and the profound impact they have on our healing process. What are the ways in which we set intentions and acknowledge deathaversaries and other kinds of “firsts”? We will also celebrate the joyous moments that may arise in the midst of our sorrow and how we are able to navigate living in the dualities of both joy and grief.
As we delve into the discussion, our experienced facilitators will offer practical strategies and emotional tools to help you prepare for the "firsts" that await you in the first year of grieving. Whether it's the first birthday without your loved one, the first holiday season, or the first anniversary of their passing, we'll explore how to honor these moments with grace and understanding.
Together, we will create a supportive interactive space where you can share your thoughts, fears, and hopes with others who are on a similar journey. We can reimagine how to navigate the turbulent waters of grief, finding solace in the unexpected, cherishing the joyous, and preparing for the inevitable "firsts" that lie ahead on your unique grief journey.
Speakers
Dr. Chinasa Elue is a professor, speaker, grief coach, and CEO and Founder of True Titans Consulting Group. She provides strategic coaching and consulting to organizations moving forward to make impactful changes in the midst of uncertainty with empathy and care. She is also an associate professor of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at Kennesaw State University. Her research focuses on grief leadership, trauma-informed leadership practices in organizational settings, and the health and well-being of historically marginalized and underrepresented populations. Dr. Elue is also the host of the Grieving in Color Podcast, a podcast that explores the various ways we navigate our experiences with grief and loss and a place where we find the courage to intentionally heal in our daily lives. Dr. Elue’s work has been published in numerous academic journals and has also been featured in USA Today, DiversityInc, Better Homes & Gardens, and VoyageATL. https://www.drchinasaelue.com/ @drchinasaelue
Dr. Julie Shaw (she/her) is an educator, grief wellness advocate, and experienced griever. Dr. Shaw is committed to building an inclusive community of grievers who are curious, ready to explore and moved to find ways they can integrate grief into their lives and continue to thrive. She is the founder of Hello I‘m Grieving , a community where grievers can find support and motivation through creative thought provoking in person and virtual events. Dr. Shaw has her doctorate in Leadership and is the co-founder of Lead Different Consulting where she works with global leaders in diverse industries and facilitates sessions on leadership development, DEI, and grief education. As a grief expert, Dr. Shaw has spoken on panel alongside David Kessler, contributed to the Empathy.com Cost of Dying Report, serves as a guest expert for HelpTexts, and her story is featured in the grief documentary Meet Me Where I Am. @helloimgrieving. Dr. Shaw is also the host of the, Hello I’m Grieving Podcast where she talks to diverse guests that share their stories of how they, “Say hello to grief”.
About Reimagine
Reimagine is a nonprofit organization catalyzing a uniquely powerful community–people of different backgrounds, ages, races, and faiths (and no faith) coming together in the hopes of healing ourselves and the world. We specifically support each other in facing adversity, loss, and mortality and–at our own pace– actively channeling life's biggest challenges into meaningful action and growth. www.letsreimagine.org
About Table Talk
We recognize that marginalized communities and cultures -- Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, Asian American, Disabled, LGBTQ+, etc. -- have their own unique perspectives and shared truths. All of these groups face tremendous challenges in dealing with serious illness, dying, grief, and discrimination. And there is a shared need for platforms to talk about these issues freely in order to connect, learn, heal, remember, and take action.
While individual Table Talks are developed by and for specific communities, we recognize that often these groupings are permeable. Many of us describe more than one group as “home,” and many of us have experienced oppression based on multiple aspects of our intersecting identities: race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and more.
Reimagine invites people of all backgrounds to join us to witness, listen and learn at Table Talk. Ultimately we are creating space rooted in the principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in order for everyone to thrive.
