2024 Virtual Foundational Black Deathkeeper Studies
This virtual study will be 7 weeks long and take place from July-August, 2024 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Early Bird Registration: $250 for the first ten, then $450 and final price of $550; Payment plans are also available
“We die. That may be the meaning of life. But, we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.”
-Toni Morrison
The Foundational Black Deathkeeper Studies (formerly The Black Deathwork Lineage Conference) is now a virtual 7-week event that focuses on African-American perspectives on Death culture
Curriculum
Week 1: Black Death Cultural Reflections, West and Central African Death Traditions, ATRs and ADRs and Death Rituals, Death During Enslavement, Enslaved Rebellions, Maroon Societies, Medical Industrial Complex and Black Deaths, Black Funeral Director History and Contemportary Studies, Black Burial Societies and Cemeteries
Week 2: Lynchings, Black Wall Streets, Civil Rights Movement, Black Gerontology and Living Elders, Genealogy and Ancestral Veneration, Cleansing and Protection Rituals, Divination, Dreamwork
Week 3: Black Folklore, Spirituality, and Mythology, Reframing Black Death and Hauntings, Black Halloween History, Black Horror and Deaths, Black Arts Movement, Black Artists and Death, Hoodoo Heritage Month
Week 4: East and South African Death Traditions, Black Grief, Black Mourning Rituals, and Herbalism and Grief, Black Mental Wellness and Crisis Planning, Palliative Care for Black Communities, Hospice Care, and End of Life Planning
Week 5: Black Miscarriages, Abortions, Black Femicide and Intimate Partner Violence, Black Sex Workers, Human Trafficking, Incarcerated Deathwork, and Grief Lounge
Week 6: Black Suicides, Murders, Harm Reduction, Genocides, COVID-19 Pandemic, Black Ecological Deathwork, Contemporary Black Funerals and Death Cultures, Collective Grief and Community Ancestral Celebrations
Week 7: Black Queer and Trans History and Deaths, Death Culture for Black Disabled People, Death Culture for Black Autistic People, Contemporary Topics in Black Death Culture, Black Deathkeepers, and Your Deathkeeping Lineage
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this training certify me?
These studies are part of the lengthier professional Deathkeeper training here at Guided Cycles, so additional training is needed to be seen as meeting the professional standards that Guided Cycles recognizes. However, you will receive a certificate of completion after completing reflection assignments. Also, this is a mandatory requirement for the Guided Spiral Deathkeeper Training, so you may enroll in this as a way to see if you are okay with my teaching style before committing to the 9-month training; I will be requiring for students to take this prior to initiating the 9-month professional training since this is a planned annual offering, and taking place prior to the professional training may help students not feel so overwhelmed.
Also, those who may have previous Deathkeeper professional trainings as well as those who are looking to learn more about Black Death Culture all may find these studies immensely beneficial.
Are there any prerequisities?
No, but this is a prerequisite for the professional Guided Spiral Deathkeeper training.
Do you have more financially accessible options?
Sometimes, I have scholarships if grant funding is available. I also have added an option for sponsorships from people if they so choose. If someone provides a sponsorship donation, then it will be announced on social media and/or newsletter, and an application will be available on the website in the scheduling area. In addition, I offer payment plans that may have negotiable options, as long as all payment is received prior to the start of the program.
Will this be recorded?
Yes, the studies are recorded and offered only to the current registrants. No recordings will be available for purchase afterwards, and interested registrants will need to wait for the next offering.
Do you cap your studies?
Yes, this will be capped at 50 participants.