Discrimination Trial Continues in Mississippi
Testimony continued in the Gulfport, Mississippi, trial where six black-owned funeral homes have contended that Harrison County and its coroner, Gary Hargraves, have discriminated against them by sending deceased bodies in greater numbers to the white-owned funeral homes in the county. In testimony yesterday, which is summed up by the Associated Press here, Harrison County coroner, Hargraves, stated that he was “colorblind” when it came to releasing bodies.
Plaintiffs attorney David Owens said that more than 80% of the county payments for services from these bodies went to one white-owned funeral home. According to other reports, monies expended by the county for coroner case services has totalled about $160,000 over the five years 2011-2016.
Funeral Director Daily take: Here is another article from WTVA News that gives a little more detail on the case.
This is an interesting case because Harrison County Attorney Tim Holleman argues that the relatives of the deceased usually decide where bodies go. Holleman continued in his statement by saying that state law gives next of kin and even guardians the right to choose the funeral home to which a body will be sent. The county continues its defense by saying that the coroner is simply sending bodies where the next of kin requests.
On the other side, the plaintiffs argue that of the $160,000 that has been expended over the five years in question, only $4,000 or 2.5% has went to black-owned funeral homes and the county has 24% of its people identify as black. Another issue at question by the plaintiffs is why unclaimed bodies only went to white-owned funeral homes until a next of kin was located when at least one black-owned funeral home also had cooler space during the period in question.
The six black-owned funeral home plaintiffs in the case claim that they are owed $870,000 in lost profits from county business and associated funerals for the five year period in question.
We will try to stay up to date on this case and pass on the outcome when we know it.
When I first embarked upon this unclaimed bodies era I was overlooking Oregon’s procedures for dealing with unclaimed bodies. Oregon’s plan for the examiner was to take 10 days after which the funeral director would get 10 days to locate next of kin. Afterwords If the Director within 10 days failed to be successful in locating a next of kin? Then the bodies went to a medical institution(s). I find this situation sticky echy. While I believe federal funds should be equally distributed among businesses that best suits the government’s ethics, I also feel that businesses must reciprocate government responses from their own communities. Funeral Directors seem to have a sympathetic obligation to their communities not government whom they pay taxes too. When I started my retirement career in web development I found a niche for the Death Care Industry in part mostly because my Mom, Dad, Wife and Son all past away. I wanted to disclose my peace with this by demonstrating on-line memorials for people having to go through what my faith seemingly cut in half for me. Now that I’m involved with a funeral program site my dilemma is who among the populations will use my site? Not withstanding racial inhibitions but religion too might well decide. If I were in Mississippi who would use my site? Considering the empty response I got from my own people in Missouri where not a one gave me the time of day, except the white establishments did at least speak with me and one even offered to do business with me, IF?
If I have a business license, terms of use+refund policy clearly disclosed on my site and able to express my services within 15 – 30 minutes with a client on board; then we could do business.
I didn’t look at it as blacks don’t help blacks. But because more or less they had to protect their own businesses, after all who was I. Perhaps government feels the same way, sometimes? Non the less I decided to let my community speak for me! Maybe when I approach government to use my program which for the basic plan is free to those financially halted in these matters, the government will look at my aggrandizement in my own community and count it as ethically fit to be supported.