S1E4 - Joy and Pain: Music and Mourning Part 2 with Christal Brown Heyward

In the powerful conclusion of Juana’s conversation with Christal Brown Heyward, they explore the intersection of grief, culture, and celebration in Black ecclesial traditions. Christal reveals her doctoral research on "Joy and Pain: The Marriage of Music and Mourning in Black Ecclesial Traditions," examining how music functions as healing in the Black church—from homegoing services that celebrate life to the careful selection of songs that carry communities through loss. She offers profound wisdom from her personal grief journey, sharing her most important prayer: "Lord, keep my mind." Christal reminds us that we are not machines, that rest is the greatest currency we can give ourselves, and that grief teaches us to stay close to God while giving ourselves permission to be fully human. This episode is a love letter to Black women and Black people, honoring the unique ways we hold both sorrow and celebration together.

Produced by Wesley's Revival, a ministry of Studio Wesley.