'Night of Reflection' in St. Pete helps those grieving loved ones, friends

Everyone has felt grief before whether from losing a loved one or a friend, and community members in St. Petersburg came together to talk about that collective loss Friday.

Counselors led the Night of Reflection event with support and affirmations to shine a light that grief is normal. The event was organized by Empath Health, NAACP St. Petersburg chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and other community groups.

"My brother was murdered here in St. Pete in 2017. There are a lot of missed moments there. I lost my mom in 2007, missed moments there," said NAACP St. Pete chapter president Esther Matthews, who helped organize the event. 

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Matthews said many in the African American community often grieve quietly, but Friday night’s event was a first to collectively open up the conversation and give permission to feel.

"I myself having suffered many losses over the years, welcome the opportunity to sit with other that share an emotion that we can put a name to," said Matthews. 

Some walked in to write names and messages as tributes to lost loved ones while others took a moment to pause and reflect. Counselors said the time could also be a first step for some toward healing.

"It is something that we don’t talk about openly, and so we want to change that conversation we want to people to create spaces where we can talk about our losses, and we can talk about the struggles that we may be having," said Karen Davis-Pritchett, the vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at Empath Health.

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Davis-Pritchett said the last few years took a toll on St. Pete’s black community.

"COVID and recent loss especially in the Black community, especially of the CEO of the Pinellas County Urban League Rev. Watson Haynes and Pastor Shawn Thomas, people really were hurting," said Davis-Pritchett. "We miss them greatly. They had a huge influence on our community."

That hurt is part of life, so Empath Health said counselors are ready to help people cope one step at a time.

"We’re here. Let’s support each other. Let’s talk about this out in the open, so we can support and let people know you’re not alone," said Davis-Pritchett.

The room was filled with people who had old and fresh wounds from loved ones they lost, saying they appreciated hearing there is someone willing to listen.

Mental HealthSt. Petersburg