[Archived] To Serve the Living: Free Lecture on April 7th

To Serve the Living: Funeral Directors and the African American Way of Death, Wednesday, April 30th 7 PM

Due to unforeseen circumstances, this lecture is postponed until June. Please keep your eye on Historic Alexandria's News Release Site for the new date.

On Wednesday, April 30th at 7 p.m., The Museum will host Professor Suzanne Smith who will give a lecture entitled To Serve the Living: Funeral Directors and the African American Way of Death.  This event is free and open to the public.

The title of the lecture comes from Dr. Smith’s book of the same name. To Serve the Living: Funeral Directors and the African American Way of Death explores the central role of funeral directors in African American life and how African American funeral homes even had a role in the civil rights movement. To Serve the Living was a finalist for Best Non-Fiction at the Library of Virginia’s 14th Annual Literary Awards.

Suzanne E. Smith received her Ph.D. from Yale University. She specializes in African American history with a particular interest in exploring how the history of African American entrepreneurship can transform our understanding of African American culture.  Her current research agenda focuses on the history of African American religion in modern America. Professor Smith has done numerous interviews for National Public Radio, C-Span, and the BBC as well as public lectures at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Berklee College of Music, and the National Funeral Directors Association Annual Meeting.

The lecture will be held at the Alexandria Black History Museum at 7 p.m. on April 30th, 2014. The Museum is located at 902 Wythe Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. It is five blocks from the Braddock Road Metro Station on the Yellow and Blue Lines. Street parking is available. For more information, please call 703.746.4356.