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.
Mesiah at Richard’s Party
Mesiah Mitchell, a musician, pauses for a moment while filming a music video alongside David Lawrence (in white) at the birthday party for Richard Collinge III at the French Quarter nightclub in Rochester, N.Y., on April 26, 2023. Rap musicians often express their sorrow for a friend through their music. The rapper Diddy’s famous song, often played at funerals, "I’ll Be Missing You," is a tribute to his friend, the famous rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., who was shot and killed in 1997.
