Gold: Keeping Them Alive
"Celebrating their life keeps them alive," says Persephone Modeste, a therapist based in Rochester, N.Y., where friends and family pay tribute to loved ones killed by gun violence using customs and rituals that signify death is not the end of life for the deceased. Loved ones are celebrated and kept close through objects and events that honor their legacy. "Sometimes, the pain bears you down so much that you have to think of something joyful to be able to move on because it can be debilitating," says Modeste.
Jalen’s Kids and Cousins
Jalen Everett, left, 8, and Juelz Everett, second from left, 4, the sons of Jalen Everett, play with their cousins at Riverside Cemetery in Rochester, N.Y., on April 29, 2023, at a family gathering honoring the fourth-anniversary of Jalen’s death. The family released balloons in his honor and spoke of his legacy. Leslie Gordon, Jalen’s mother, picked out a spot for Jalen’s internment near a pond at the cemetery to feel at peace when people visit him. “Kids are so carefree, they really don't understand,” says Gordon. “So, you know, if they have a place where they can just be themselves and be free, that works.”
