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To Serve the Living: Funeral Directors and the African American Way of Death

by Suzanne E. Smith
Hardcover |English |0674036212 | 9780674036215

To Serve the Living: Funeral Directors and the African American Way of Death

by Suzanne E. Smith
Hardcover |English |0674036212 | 9780674036215
Overview
A revelation . . . Only the most imaginative scholar could use the history of African-American funeral directors to uncover a pivotal part of the struggle for civil rights. That's precisely what Suzanne Smith has done in this wonderfully original, engaging, and illuminating book. (Kevin Boyle, author ofArc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights and Murder in the Jazz Age)By getting the dead where they need to go, the living get where they need to be. This deeply human pilgrimage is at the center of Smith's book on African American funeral directors and their frontline service to the nation's journeys from slavery and civil war, through Jim Crow and 'separate but equal' marketplaces—the sad and violent, heroic and hopeful history of race relations and civil rights. (Thomas Lynch, author ofThe Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade)A lyrical portrait of the African American funeral profession tells us how, for over a century, burying the dead uplifted a people and a profession together amid deep American prejudice that demeaned both. Exploring practices utterly central to African Americans' living cultural and religious history, Smith has created a history readers will remember long after the book has left their hands. (Jon Butler, Yale University)Smith's richly detailed history of black funerals illuminates the living world of African American experience. An incredibly important book. (Gary Laderman, author ofRest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth-Century America)A terrific book. Elegantly written and replete with fascinating details of the African American way of death,To Serve the Livinglays bare the role played by black funeral directors in the long struggle for freedom. (Shane White, co-author ofPlaying the Numbers: Gambling in Harlem Between the Wars)[Smith] has done a masterful job in her skillful and compelling narrative detailing the critical intersection of the histories of the African American funeral industry and the modern civil rights movement in the United States. Her attention to the contributions of a number of important figures and personalities (e.g., funeral-home owners, funeral directors and embalmers, civil rights leaders, and other historical figures) is unprecedented in its careful and accurate detail. The book documents many of the unsung heroes who were not only caretakers of the dead, but who also made important contributions to civil rights in ways that have never before been so well integrated into a compelling, readable narrative. She is a gifted storyteller and scholar whose mastery of the history's nuances is praiseworthy. The book is a scholarly and well-researched account of an important slice of the American experience--and our story.(Ronald K. BarrettAfrican American Review2012-09-01)
ISBN: 0674036212
ISBN13: 9780674036215
Author: Smith, Suzanne E.
Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
Format: Hardcover
PublicationDate: 2010-02-25
Language: English
Edition: Illustrated
PageCount: 288
Dimensions: 5.52 x 0.99 x 8.5 inches
Weight: 16.16 ounces
A revelation . . . Only the most imaginative scholar could use the history of African-American funeral directors to uncover a pivotal part of the struggle for civil rights. That's precisely what Suzanne Smith has done in this wonderfully original, engaging, and illuminating book. (Kevin Boyle, author ofArc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights and Murder in the Jazz Age)By getting the dead where they need to go, the living get where they need to be. This deeply human pilgrimage is at the center of Smith's book on African American funeral directors and their frontline service to the nation's journeys from slavery and civil war, through Jim Crow and 'separate but equal' marketplaces—the sad and violent, heroic and hopeful history of race relations and civil rights. (Thomas Lynch, author ofThe Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade)A lyrical portrait of the African American funeral profession tells us how, for over a century, burying the dead uplifted a people and a profession together amid deep American prejudice that demeaned both. Exploring practices utterly central to African Americans' living cultural and religious history, Smith has created a history readers will remember long after the book has left their hands. (Jon Butler, Yale University)Smith's richly detailed history of black funerals illuminates the living world of African American experience. An incredibly important book. (Gary Laderman, author ofRest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth-Century America)A terrific book. Elegantly written and replete with fascinating details of the African American way of death,To Serve the Livinglays bare the role played by black funeral directors in the long struggle for freedom. (Shane White, co-author ofPlaying the Numbers: Gambling in Harlem Between the Wars)[Smith] has done a masterful job in her skillful and compelling narrative detailing the critical intersection of the histories of the African American funeral industry and the modern civil rights movement in the United States. Her attention to the contributions of a number of important figures and personalities (e.g., funeral-home owners, funeral directors and embalmers, civil rights leaders, and other historical figures) is unprecedented in its careful and accurate detail. The book documents many of the unsung heroes who were not only caretakers of the dead, but who also made important contributions to civil rights in ways that have never before been so well integrated into a compelling, readable narrative. She is a gifted storyteller and scholar whose mastery of the history's nuances is praiseworthy. The book is a scholarly and well-researched account of an important slice of the American experience--and our story.(Ronald K. BarrettAfrican American Review2012-09-01)

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The following guidelines apply to books:

  • New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
  • Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
  • Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.

Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.

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  • Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
  • Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
  • No additional fees and charges.

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The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.

Estimated delivery times:

  • Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
  • Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days

Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.  

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All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times. 

Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.). 

If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.

You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.

Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.

Additional non-returnable items:

  • Gift cards
  • Downloadable software products
  • Some health and personal care items

To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)

  • Book with obvious signs of use
  • CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
  • Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
  • Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery

Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.

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  • Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
  • Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

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We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

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If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

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Overview
A revelation . . . Only the most imaginative scholar could use the history of African-American funeral directors to uncover a pivotal part of the struggle for civil rights. That's precisely what Suzanne Smith has done in this wonderfully original, engaging, and illuminating book. (Kevin Boyle, author ofArc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights and Murder in the Jazz Age)By getting the dead where they need to go, the living get where they need to be. This deeply human pilgrimage is at the center of Smith's book on African American funeral directors and their frontline service to the nation's journeys from slavery and civil war, through Jim Crow and 'separate but equal' marketplaces—the sad and violent, heroic and hopeful history of race relations and civil rights. (Thomas Lynch, author ofThe Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade)A lyrical portrait of the African American funeral profession tells us how, for over a century, burying the dead uplifted a people and a profession together amid deep American prejudice that demeaned both. Exploring practices utterly central to African Americans' living cultural and religious history, Smith has created a history readers will remember long after the book has left their hands. (Jon Butler, Yale University)Smith's richly detailed history of black funerals illuminates the living world of African American experience. An incredibly important book. (Gary Laderman, author ofRest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth-Century America)A terrific book. Elegantly written and replete with fascinating details of the African American way of death,To Serve the Livinglays bare the role played by black funeral directors in the long struggle for freedom. (Shane White, co-author ofPlaying the Numbers: Gambling in Harlem Between the Wars)[Smith] has done a masterful job in her skillful and compelling narrative detailing the critical intersection of the histories of the African American funeral industry and the modern civil rights movement in the United States. Her attention to the contributions of a number of important figures and personalities (e.g., funeral-home owners, funeral directors and embalmers, civil rights leaders, and other historical figures) is unprecedented in its careful and accurate detail. The book documents many of the unsung heroes who were not only caretakers of the dead, but who also made important contributions to civil rights in ways that have never before been so well integrated into a compelling, readable narrative. She is a gifted storyteller and scholar whose mastery of the history's nuances is praiseworthy. The book is a scholarly and well-researched account of an important slice of the American experience--and our story.(Ronald K. BarrettAfrican American Review2012-09-01)
ISBN: 0674036212
ISBN13: 9780674036215
Author: Smith, Suzanne E.
Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
Format: Hardcover
PublicationDate: 2010-02-25
Language: English
Edition: Illustrated
PageCount: 288
Dimensions: 5.52 x 0.99 x 8.5 inches
Weight: 16.16 ounces
A revelation . . . Only the most imaginative scholar could use the history of African-American funeral directors to uncover a pivotal part of the struggle for civil rights. That's precisely what Suzanne Smith has done in this wonderfully original, engaging, and illuminating book. (Kevin Boyle, author ofArc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights and Murder in the Jazz Age)By getting the dead where they need to go, the living get where they need to be. This deeply human pilgrimage is at the center of Smith's book on African American funeral directors and their frontline service to the nation's journeys from slavery and civil war, through Jim Crow and 'separate but equal' marketplaces—the sad and violent, heroic and hopeful history of race relations and civil rights. (Thomas Lynch, author ofThe Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade)A lyrical portrait of the African American funeral profession tells us how, for over a century, burying the dead uplifted a people and a profession together amid deep American prejudice that demeaned both. Exploring practices utterly central to African Americans' living cultural and religious history, Smith has created a history readers will remember long after the book has left their hands. (Jon Butler, Yale University)Smith's richly detailed history of black funerals illuminates the living world of African American experience. An incredibly important book. (Gary Laderman, author ofRest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth-Century America)A terrific book. Elegantly written and replete with fascinating details of the African American way of death,To Serve the Livinglays bare the role played by black funeral directors in the long struggle for freedom. (Shane White, co-author ofPlaying the Numbers: Gambling in Harlem Between the Wars)[Smith] has done a masterful job in her skillful and compelling narrative detailing the critical intersection of the histories of the African American funeral industry and the modern civil rights movement in the United States. Her attention to the contributions of a number of important figures and personalities (e.g., funeral-home owners, funeral directors and embalmers, civil rights leaders, and other historical figures) is unprecedented in its careful and accurate detail. The book documents many of the unsung heroes who were not only caretakers of the dead, but who also made important contributions to civil rights in ways that have never before been so well integrated into a compelling, readable narrative. She is a gifted storyteller and scholar whose mastery of the history's nuances is praiseworthy. The book is a scholarly and well-researched account of an important slice of the American experience--and our story.(Ronald K. BarrettAfrican American Review2012-09-01)

Books - New and Used

The following guidelines apply to books:

  • New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
  • Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
  • Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.

Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.

Shipping Fees

  • Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
  • Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
  • No additional fees and charges.

Delivery Times

The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.

Estimated delivery times:

  • Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
  • Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days

Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.  

Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times. 

Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.). 

If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.

You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.

Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.

Additional non-returnable items:

  • Gift cards
  • Downloadable software products
  • Some health and personal care items

To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)

  • Book with obvious signs of use
  • CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
  • Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
  • Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery

Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.

Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.

If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:

  • Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
  • Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
  • Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.


Shipping Cost


We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.

If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

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