Culture is the Medicine for Grief

3/10/2025

There have been moments throughout my career as a funeral director, sacred grief care practitioner and educator that have been utterly heart shattering. Surprisingly, many of these moments stem not from the revolving door of death and grief I have witnessed and supported countless families and communities through, but instead from the lack of consideration, honor and inclusion extended to multicultural and marginalized communities. Such incidents have reinforced a painful truth: that the deathcare industry and the professionals who serve within our funeral homes, crematories and cemeteries are falling short and missing the mark when it comes to cultural competency.

When Culture is Dismissed as Liability

The most recent, and probably the most heartbreaking, conversation I’ve had with someone who unfortunately was on the receiving end of our industry’s lack of cultural competency took place randomly while my husband and I were shopping at our local Sam’s Club. I asked the young woman assisting us at the cell phone carrier kiosk what her tattoo represented. She proceeded to share with me that her best friend of 20+ years had recently passed away. She and some of their close friends chose to get a tattoo because they couldn’t express their cultural rituals at the funeral. They felt the need to do something that connected them spiritually and culturally.

Naturally, my ears perked up and I asked her why they couldn’t attend. She shared that the family had requested that they be able to end her friend’s funeral with his casket being escorted out of the funeral home’s chapel led by a mariachi band comprised of relatives and loved ones. They were denied this final rite of passage and told both by their funeral directors and the funeral home manager that their request posed a liability and threat to their building’s insurance.

Fighting back tears and choking on her words, this grieving kiosk employee described the family’s humiliation, dehumanization and embarrassment at being told that their desire to perform this sacred ritual and ceremony for their deceased son was a liability. They felt small and unseen. As a result, they wanted to move their loved one’s body to a funeral home that would allow them the freedom to express their culture.

Unfortunately, because of the lack of diversity in the area in which they live and because there was no one to advocate for them (combined with the fact that they simply did not have the money, emotional stamina or energy to relive the funeral arrangement process), this family was stuck paying for services that did not honor their cultural needs and didn’t leave them feeling as if they were served with dignity. Sadly, this story is not unique and represents an area for growth and redirection that our industry and the professionals in it should take to heart.

We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

Early on in my mortuary school journey it became very evident to me – as it does for many students – that there is little to no education specific to caring for diverse communities as it relates to both the cultural rites and the unique needs of bodies of indigenous peoples and communities of color. This realization was made even more real while I worked as an apprentice.

One memorable day, I walked in on a seasoned professional cutting the box braids (see below) from the hair of a deceased Black woman whose family requested that her braids be removed so her hair could be styled differently for her viewing and service. Unbeknownst to the embalmer, by cutting off the braids close to her scalp, he was in turn cutting off all of her hair, effectively maiming her presentation for the viewing and violating the spiritual sacredness attached to her hair.

His actions were not carried out with ill intent, and he expressed deep remorse when I stopped and educated him. However, had I not stopped him, his lack of cultural knowledge and technical skill could have had a profoundly negative and irreparable impact on our firm, reputation and – most importantly – on the family and community of the deceased.

"Box braids" are a traditional African hairstyle where hair is sectioned into square-shaped parts and braided into individual plaits, often with extensions for added length and thickness. This protective style minimizes damage, lasts for weeks, and holds cultural significance in Black and Indigenous communities but are often adorned by those outside of the Black/Indigenous community.

Frustration Leading to Solutions

Stories like these, centered around inappropriate and offensive language, lack of awareness and lack of cultural humility are frustrating and heartbreaking, but they have also motivated and inspired me to develop The Multicultural Death & Grief Care Academy. The Academy provides resources, courses and training specifically for end-of-life, death and grief care professionals. Our mission is simple: To empower professionals to better serve decedents, families and communities alike with cultural competence and sensitivity.

The Cultural Kaleidoscope course series shows funeral professionals that a mariachi band processing the casket is not merely creative personalization but an important cultural rite that makes an impact on a community’s final farewell. By challenging fixed or outdated perspectives, each course in this series helps foster open, honest conversations about the diverse ways different cultures approach end of life, death, grief and mourning to building culturally competent deathcare professionals.

The Dignity in Death series focuses on our care of Black decedents with 10 courses covering the unique hair and cosmetic techniques to cultural and spiritual considerations that ensure that we can build a deeper understanding of Black body care traditions, improve their services, and ensure families receive the highest level of care during one of the most important moments in their lives. Practical courses like Removing Braids, Twist & Extensions and Properly Caring for Locs & Twist expand technical skills in the prep room to ensure dignity for the deceased and positive outcomes for our communities and our firm.

By embracing cultural competency, we not only transform the way families experience loss but we, as an industry and as professionals, ensure that every farewell is met with dignity, respect, and the deep honor that every life and culture deserves.

CANA is excited to announce a new member benefit! Exclusively for CANA Members, Ms. Maldonado has offered a 20% discount on four training series that provide culturally inclusive education for end-of-life, death & grief care excellence in accessible online formats, live workshops, and interactive experiences to take the next step toward cultural understanding, professional growth, and compassionate care.

Dignity in Death: Caring for Black Decedent & Communities delivers 10 self-paced courses to equip end of life and death care professionals as well as doulas with the knowledge and skills to provide culturally competent and sensitive care for Black bodies in transition and Black decedents.
CANA Members: $1,440; Non-Members $1,800
Faith, Religion and Culture for End-of-Life & Deathcare explores the rich diversity of faith, religious, and cultural traditions surrounding death and grieving in a 12-week instructor-led series equips deathcare professionals with the cultural competence needed to provide respectful, compassionate care to families from various backgrounds.
CANA Members: $799.20; Non-Members $999
Cultural Kaleidoscope: Challenging Perspectives and Building Culturally Competent Deathcare challenges traditional mindsets, encouraging open, honest conversations about diverse cultural approaches to end-of-life care, grief, and mourning. This transformative program empowers deathcare professionals to provide more inclusive, compassionate support by addressing cultural competence and confronting implicit biases.
CANA Members: $192; Non-Members $240
Mortuary School Mastery: 6 Course Series Designed to Help You Thrive is a 6-part series designed specifically for mortuary students or those interested in attending mortuary school who are navigating the challenges of their education and preparing for a successful career in funeral service. Each offering is packed with practical wisdom, essential skills, and hard-earned lessons to help you avoid the common pitfalls that many students face and to set you on a clear path to success.
CANA Members: $192; Non-Members $240

All courses and training are approved for CE credit through Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice (APFSP).

Members: claim your code in the Member Portal or contact CANA at 312-245-1077 or [email protected] for more information. Not a member yet? See all the benefits that membership provides and join today for just $539 for the entire firm!

Joél Simone Maldonado, widely known as The Grave Woman, is a licensed funeral director, embalmer, pre-planning specialist, and the award-winning founder of The Multicultural Death & Grief Care Academy. With over a decade in the death care industry and more than 15 years in healthcare, Joél is a recognized leader in educating professionals on Cultural Competency, Inclusion, and Diversity in end-of-life care. She serves on the Board of Directors for Compassion and Choices, co-chairs its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, and volunteers with the African American Leadership Council. Through courses, her podcast, YouTube channel, and social media, Joél fosters open dialogues on the nuances of multicultural death and grief care. Committed to personal growth, she continually hones her skills and cultural intelligence, including earning her CQ certification from the Cultural Intelligence Center and engaging in advanced entrepreneurship, development, and leadership programs.

Why Your Company Needs Management Training

3/4/2025

A quick search on Google about horror stories in the office yields results that are often related to the work environment, company culture, and, worse, their manager. The workforce has had much to say about how managers and leaders handle their teams.

They have every right to – after all, your employees are the backbone of your company. Without them, business owners, especially those who have only just entered their respective industries, can face insurmountable challenges in operations, service delivery, and customer relationships, among others.

As such, it is essential for startup and well-established companies to invest in management training that matters. Regardless of experience, managers are expected to refresh their skillset and knowledge base in order to adapt to the new demands of the workforce.

Management education and training provides you with the tools you need to not only hire the best people for your team but also take advantage of every new talent you add to your company. If you need more reasons as to why you should be getting management training, then this article is for you. It will show you what proper management can do in hopes of emphasizing that learning is an essential part of being an effective leader.

Bringing out your team's potential

Over the past few years, the workforce has become increasingly diverse as technology has made it possible for people all over the world to connect with each other.

For managers, this trend can mean one of two things. For one, the increased diversity could pose unexpected challenges due to differences in culture, perspective, and work ethic.

However, with the proper management skills, company leaders can maximize this diversity to bring out your team's potential for innovation, which is an invaluable asset in an era of knowledge and technology.

You can motivate them to grab the opportunities instead of waiting for it to happen, become more assertive, and hone themselves into becoming future leaders. A good manager can also empower their team, which not only increases their productivity but also their reliability and sense of responsibility.

Inspiring employee loyalty

An incompetent manager can be detrimental to your team's productivity and creativity. Your employees may find themselves bogged down by inefficient processes, fatigue, and job dissatisfaction – factors that can increase your attrition and causing your company to lose the money you've invested for their hiring, training, and onboarding.

Management training helps you identify the signs and prevent the problem before it can happen. It can teach you what to do during coaching and one-on-one sessions as well as any other employee interaction you may have.

As a result, it can ensure that you're inspiring employee loyalty instead of inviting resignation letters to land on your desk.

Devising better business strategies

Once you have a workforce that you can rely on, the next thing you may want as a manager is to ensure that you're doing things right on the business side of things.

Proper management training teaches you how to devise better business strategies that can benefit you in the short- and long-term. Such strategies may have something to do with your workforce, like what, when, and why you should implement an effective rewards system.

It may also teach you how to identify the market you want, reach the customers you need, and keep them coming back to your company for your products and services. The best training modules out there might also include how to handle finances, which is a key responsibility of leaders.

Growing your business

Imagine if you had a workforce that you have to replace every once in a while because people don't want to keep working for you. As a leader, this scenario means that you have to keep hiring people, investing in training over and over again. It also means that you have no one to rely on but yourself.

If you want to start focusing on growing your business, then consider getting management training for the simple fact that it ensures that you're hiring and training a team that will be with you throughout your growth as a company.

It also enables you to delegate tasks, which is something you'll find yourself grateful for when growing inevitably means more paperwork, tasks, and decisions. Having the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve this is essential for startups, especially if you want to hit the ground running.

As a general rule of thumb, remember this: happy workforce, happy leader. If your team spends their time trying to come up with efficient strategies and thinking up solutions to your problems, it's more than likely that you, as a manager, are leading an empowered team that can support the growth of your company. Invest in management training because your workforce is as much an asset as it is your capital.

Learn more

Want to elevate your team’s success in 2025? The CANA Deathcare Business Administration Certification is a streamlined 10-week learning and networking program designed for current and future leaders in the deathcare industry. Learn critical skills in people and financial management that will drive real results. Launching on Tuesday, April 1st, our program offers a blend of executive MBA-level education and practical, real-world application. Connect with fellow CANA members and industry experts to share insights, strategies, and success stories.

Ready to lead, inspire, and succeed? Enroll now and secure your spot in the Deathcare Business Administration Certification program! To learn more and register today, visit www.goalmakers.com/cana. Your path to leadership excellence starts here.

Special discounts are available for teams! This learning experience will create a ripple effect of positive change, arming your team with a common leadership language and actionable insights. This is more than just a training program; it's an investment in the future leaders of your business. Teams of 3 or more qualify for bulk discounts!

This post republished with permission from the Goalmakers blog. For more, read on here.

Jeremy Wall is co-founder and CEO of GoalMakers. Understanding that most managers have never been taught the fundamentals of people management or business finance, Wall has a passion for simplifying these concepts into practical and applicable lessons to help businesses define & achieve their goals. After building his previous business, an IoT safety company, Wall did private consulting before joining esteemed coach and author John Cioffi to expand this knowledge to a global audience through the GoalMakers ‘mini-MBA’ programs, including the CANA Deathcare Business Administration Certification.

Culture is the Medicine for Grief

When Culture is Dismissed as Liability

We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

Frustration Leading to Solutions

Why Your Company Needs Management Training

Bringing out your team's potential

Inspiring employee loyalty

Devising better business strategies

Growing your business

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