About
The Ancestral Arts Collective (AAC) is a group of Black artists, death doulas, healers, scholars, and storytellers dedicated to the reclamation of grief, death, and Afrodiasporic traditions — while providing spaces for joy.
Mission
To foster community among Black people who are engaged with death, dying, and bereavement work.
Vision
To decolonize end-of-life spaces by prioritizing ancestral teachings from the African diaspora.
Approach
Interdisciplinary engagement that prioritizes the arts, knowledge-sharing, connection, and care.
Goal
To create an intergenerational Black death-care community.
FOUNDERS: The AAC was founded by Karen Miranda Augustine and Nishi Gouldbourne in 2024. The collective officially launched on May 28, 2025.