Grave History: Death, Race, and Gender in Southern Cemeteries

Grave History explores the significance of southern cemeteries in interrogating and analyzing southern society and the construction of racial and gendered hierarchies from the antebellum period through the dismantling of Jim Crow. It utilizes an interdisciplinary approach, involving scholars from various fields, to investigate the history of racial segregation in southern cemeteries and its implications for understanding power relations, community formation, and historical memory. The book offers learning activities for readers to apply its insights to their analysis of cemeteries.

Format: Hardback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2023
Publisher: University of Georgia Press

Grave sites serve as invaluable repositories of information, offering not only physical markers of those remembered but also a wealth of insights into the era in which they were created. These markers unlock the doors to our historical past, providing a platform for questioning who is represented, how, and why. Grave History, a groundbreaking volume, takes a unique approach by utilizing southern cemeteries as a lens to examine and analyze southern society and the construction of racial and gendered hierarchies from the antebellum period to the dismantling of Jim Crow.

Spanning across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, and Virginia, from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries, this volume showcases the significance of using cemeteries as analytical tools to explore power relations, community formation, and historical memory.

Drawing together an interdisciplinary team of scholars, including historians, anthropologists, archaeologists, and social-justice activists, Grave History delves into the history of racial segregation in southern cemeteries, shedding light on how ideas regarding race, class, and gender were shaped and reinforced within these sacred spaces.

Each chapter in Grave History is accompanied by a learning activity designed to engage readers and empower them to become historians in their own right. These activities, suitable for teachers, students, seasoned cemetery enthusiasts, and newcomers alike, encourage readers to examine cemeteries through various lenses, including physical organization, iconography, sociodemographic landscape, and identity politics.

By exploring the rich tapestry of southern cemeteries, Grave History offers a profound understanding of the past and its enduring impact on our society. It serves as a testament to the power of historical analysis and the importance of preserving and understanding our shared heritage.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780820365794