Still Standing as Pillars of Their Community: The Survival of Black Funeral Homes in Dawson, Georgia Open Access

Abstract

In this narrative, I will explore the effect of racial violence and segregation on the funeral home business in a small town in Southwest Georgia. The four funeral homes in Dawson, all owned by Black men or women, operate within one mile of each other and serve a county of 9,000 people with a total of 125 deaths per year. In rural Georgia, the funeral business largely remains segregated with races tending to bury their own, so the number of available cases for Black funeral directors becomes slimmer even in a majority African American county. A profitable year in the funeral business in Dawson, is 100 cases. The market for deaths is overcrowded and competitive, as funeral directors in town challenge one another for business.

 

One must look to the past to understand how the funeral homes of Dawson operate today. This small town also has a deep history of racial violence that enforced discrimination and segregation throughout the Jim Crow era of the South. With rare economic independence, Black funeral directors were leaders of the African American community at this time and defied the racial hierarchy of Dawson. Their defiance also made them a target for corrupt white authorities and forced competition that hindered Black funeral directors to help their community. I aim to connect the past to the present of Black-owned funeral homes in Dawson to show how these complications still exist today, as the four funeral homes in Dawson must survive to provide for their community.

Table of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………..1

Part 1: Terrible Terrell…………………………………………….….15

Part 2: A Segregated Industry……………………………………....35

Part 3: Four Funeral Homes………………………………………...49

Epilogue……………………………………….………………………..63

Bibliography……………………………….…………………………..65

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	English and Creative Writing
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	History, Black
Keyword	Black Funeral Directors African American Funerals
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Hank Klibanoff, Emory University
Committee Members	Jason Ward, Emory University Maria Montalvo, Emory University

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