Passed On is a portrait of death and dying in twentieth-
century African America. Through poignant reflection and
thorough investigation of the myths, rituals, economics,
and politics of African American mourning and burial
practices, Karla FC Holloway finds that ways of dying are
just as much a part of black identity as ways of living.
Gracefully interweaving interviews, archival research, and
analyses of literature, film, and music, Holloway shows
how the vulnerability of African Americans to untimely
death is inextricably linked to how black culture
represents itself and is represented.
With a focus on the "death-care" industry—black funeral
homes and morticians, the history of the profession and
its practices—Holloway examines all facets of the burial
business, from physicians, hospital chaplains, and hospice
administrators, to embalming- chemical salesmen, casket
makers, and funeral directors, to grieving relatives. She
uses narrative, photographs, and images to summon a
painful history of lynchings, white rage and riot, medical
malpractice and neglect, executions, and neighborhood
violence. Specialized caskets sold to African Americans,
formal burial photos of infants, and deathbed stories,
unveil a glimpse of the graveyards and burial sites of
African America, along with burial rituals and funeral
ceremonies.
Revealing both unexpected humor and anticipated tragedy,
Holloway tells a story of the experiences of black folk in
the funeral profession and its clientele. She also
reluctantly shares the story of her son and the way his
death moved her research from page to person.
In the conclusion, which follows a sermon delivered by
Maurice O. Wallace at the funeral for the author’s son,
Bem, Holloway strives to commemorate—through observation,
ceremony, and the calling of others to remembrance and
celebration.
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