Abstract
The Women’s Housing Equality and Enhancement League (WHEEL) tracks and memorializes homeless deaths in King County, Washington, staging Women in Black vigils each time new deaths occur outside, in a public location, or by violence. To understand participant experiences of vigils, we interviewed 27 people between October 2020 and January 2021. We identified themes characterizing motivations, outcomes, and general effects of acts of public mourning for homeless deaths. Findings illustrate the role of public mourning in creating public understanding of the importance of shelter in saving lives, while fulfilling the deeply spiritual and human need to honor every death and grieve in community.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
