For many people, death care begins far before the death of an individual. However, the penultimate milestone in death care is the funeral. The funeral:
Helps confirm the reality and finality of death.
Provides a climate for mourning and the expression of grief.
Allows the sorrows of one to become the sorrows of many.
Is one of the few times love is given and not expected in return.
Is a vehicle for the community to pay its respects.
Encourages the affirmation of religious faith.
Is a declaration that a life that has been lived as well as a sociological statement that a death has occurred.
But what happens after the funeral? The committal is performed, usually at a cemetery, and then it is followed by a reception. Days, weeks, and months pass, but then what? For many, the grieving process may include visiting the cemetery where their loved ones are buried, but eventually the grief passes, and they visit less and less often. As this cycle continues, burial plots, and eventually the cemetery itself, fall into disarray as development increases, the ground shifts, trees grow, headstones fall, and a number of other environmental factors transpire.
While some cemeteries are well maintained, others go neglected for years to the point where they are unrecognizable or lost entirely. All too often, this is the reality of African American families and the cemeteries where their ancestors are buried. Across the United States, remains of African Americans have been found in unofficial cemeteries or unmarked graves, and there is no official count of how many similar sites may be in existence. “In contrast with law’s solicitous treatment of cemeteries generally, . . . the history of legal treatment of slave and other long-standing African-American burial grounds has been one of neglect or outright disregard.” To some, neglected cemeteries may be just that, but to many African Americans, “the neglect of [African American] burial grounds is an extension of the racism Black people experience while living.” Although the United States has grown significantly since the time of slavery, African Americans, and many other minority populations, still face many challenges even in the twenty-first century, not only while living, but even in death.
The Unmarked documentary chronicles the rise in preservation and restoration efforts of African American cemeteries. Focused on the South, Unmarked chronicles the stories of various families who are descendants of slaves and their efforts to recover the historic cemeteries where their ancestors are buried. The documentary highlights that restoration efforts of African American cemeteries have largely been organized by community groups and families. The federal government, along with several state and local governments, have begun passing legislation that aims to preserve and restore African American cemeteries in an effort to combat the systemic struggles of African Americans. Although many preservation and restoration efforts are in the early stages, this progress brings hope to many families, communities, and cities working to preserve history.
