Dr Kami Fletcher on death and American and African American history, African American burial grounds, late 19th and early 20th century Black undertaker and contemporary Black grief and mourning

The Death Studies Podcast

What's the episode about? In this episode, hear Dr Kami Fletcher on death and American and African American history, African American burial grounds, late 19th and early 20th century Black undertaker and contemporary Black grief and mourning.

Who is Kami?

Dr. Kami Fletcher is an Associate Professor of American & African American History and Co-Coordinator of Women’s and Gender Studies at Albright College. She teaches courses that explore the African experience in America and unpacks social and cultural U.S. history all at the intersection of race, gender, class, and sexuality.

Her research centers on African American burial grounds, late 19th/early 20th century Black female and male undertakers, and contemporary Black grief and mourning. She is the co-editor of Till Death Do Us Part: American Ethnic Cemeteries as Borders Uncrossed which examines the internal and/or external drives among ethnic, religious, and racial groups to separate their dead (University Press of Mississippi, April 2020) She is currently working on Grave History: Death, Race & Gender in Southern Cemeteries from Antebellum to the Post-Civil Rights Era investigates the southern places where cemeteries take root as well as probe the interplay of southern history, culture, race, class, gender, and climate in these cities of the dead (University of Georgia Press).

Currently, Dr. Fletcher is working on a manuscript that historicizes Mount Auburn Cemetery in Baltimore, the first Black owned and operated cemetery in Maryland. The book positions African American cemeteries as the point where life and death meet arguing that this meeting point is a symbol of Black freedom from White control.

At the end of the show, Beth asks about one of the paintings on the wall behind Kami. Kami’s lifemate, sociologist and artist Dr. Myron T. Strong, painted it. It is entitled "Guardian". If you are interested in seeing it or purchasing a print, you can do so at his website.

For more on Dr. Fletcher visit her website: www.kamifletcher.weebly.com and/or contact her on Twitter using @kamifletcher36

How do I cite the episode in my research and reading lists?

To cite this episode, you can use the following citation: Fletcher, K. (2022) Interview on The Death Studies Podcast hosted by Michael-Fox, B. and Visser, R. Published 12 January 2022. Available at: www.thedeathstudiespodcast.com, DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.18272015

What next?

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