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Podcasts Take Two
One nation under grief: How communal bereavement helps heal
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Jun 16, 2016
Listen 8:07
One nation under grief: How communal bereavement helps heal
Following the tragedy in Orlando, tons of stories have flooded the web about compassionate acts. A closer look at how grief unites us in the face of tragedy.
Thousands attend a vigil on Monday, June 13, 2016 at Los Angeles City Hall memorializing those who died in Sunday's attack in Orlando.
Thousands attend a vigil on Monday, June 13, 2016 at Los Angeles City Hall memorializing those who died in Sunday's attack in Orlando.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)

Following the tragedy in Orlando, tons of stories have flooded the web about compassionate acts. A closer look at how grief unites us in the face of tragedy.

Following tragedies like the one in Orlando, there's a clip from an interview with Fred Rogers - of Mr. Rogers fame - that often makes the rounds on social media: 

Look for the helpers

In an effort to uplift the community, we remind one another to "look for the helpers". We seek support from friends, family, neighbors and yes, compassionate strangers. 

We grieve as a community and attempt to heal together. So, how does communal bereavement work? And how helpful is it?

To get a better understanding, we reached out to Laura Agnich via Skype. She's an assistant professor of criminal justice at Georgia Southern University and started researching communal grief almost 10 years ago when she was finishing up her Masters at Virginia Tech.

To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.