Funeral Home Racial Barriers - Why Does It Have To Be a Race Thing? 

BRAVO!!! I’m so tired of such talk about racial. I wish it didn’t have to be a factor, but understand why it is. My prayers are that some day we all are simply humans. I love everyone!

This video was awesome. I especially liked how Tiffany said she doesn’t look at having this business from the lens of being a black woman or a woman period. It’s just her - Tiffany. Man I breathed a sigh of relief! It’s sad when everything is about race or gender. Tiffany came off as relatable, humble, and with a quiet confidence. This was refreshing!

We need more funeral directors like you ladies that are driven by compassion and not by corporate greed. I love seeing strong, beautiful, kind ladies bulldozing barriers, including those of race and a male dominant industry... Not that Men can't be compassionate, but there seemed to be a corporate male sales force presence running the industry for years. Your genuine, nurturing compassion brings a special peace to families... You ladies are awesome!! Tiffany your facility is so gorgeous!!! Woww!!! 💕👍😊

After watching this, all I can say is what a sweetheart! She’s a beautiful soul with an honest love and compassion for people in general. I love the extra touches the family gives!

Tiffany seems like such a lovely lady

😊Hello, respect and blessings!🖐🏾 I enjoyed the conversation..👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 It's a shame people must look at color first, instead of humanity...especially when we all bleed the same color. Thanks for letting us listen in.👍🏾

What an amazing lady she is. She tried and succeeded and now she will continue to teach the younger folks what she does and has learned. Terrific Lady.

When I said this would be a superb video I underestimated it showed "superb" a clean pair of heels about 5 minuted in! What a sweet soul Tiffany is. Grandma's poundcake made for each family awesome! As for the race issue.. it becomes irrelevent when you have people like Tiffany who's primary goal is take a loved one who has passed speak to the family and give the best care to both the living and the deceased!

Thank you so much Kari for taking us along on this journey in St. Louis, Missouri. Tiffany Smith is truly a blessing to this city. Families who are grieving and looking for a funeral home to help them with the final care of their loved one are treated like family. I wish her services were here in Oregon. I have never heard of a service giving blankets like hers as a memory of their loved one. Bless you Kari for showing people that race doesn't need to make a difference in not only life but in death. Wonderful video. Hugs

Two beautiful women talking about work!!! There is only one race, the human race! This was beautiful, thank you both! God bless!

Awesome video. Two beautiful female funeral directors!! Both of you have such sweet souls.

Tiffany Smith is an inspiration. Much success now and in the future.

What a beautiful soul Tiffany is. She is a ray of sunshine. I love her thinking and ideas and wow that building looks spectacular. Xx

Such a kind lady

What a charming lady, and you both are strong women as well.

This lady is amazing just because she is herself and does the best at what she does and has pride doing it the way every one should be not because they are black white yellow or green because she is a good person who cares ♥ kari I absolutely loved this video!

I'm so happy that you are having this conversation. Here in the South I believe this will always be a thing unfortunately.

Beautiful video. Tiffany has such a beautiful spirit and I pray that her dream for Total Care comes true.

That was interesting seeing the stone engraving. My great-grandfather was a stone engraver (black). His business was headstones. All of that work used to be done by hand.

Ms.Tiffany seems like a beautiful soul, thanks for sharing!

Awesome Kari! I would love to meet her, she’s so sweet, like you! :)

Another great video, Kari. It's refreshing to see that there are still some people out there who couldn't care less what color an individual is; or what they're heritage is for that matter.

I feel so strongly that Tiffany is a sweet, godly woman. I really think its wonderful to see more minorities, and women in the position of owner,funeral director,etc. Its really great. Thank you so much for this video😊❤how lovely that her mom makes cakes for the families. I love that. And making headstones. Wow.

I think Caitlin Doughty did a “race in the funeral industry” type video a bit back. Very important to discuss this thing.

Wow 💕. What an amazing business! Love the special touches, so personal for the family! Keep on keeping on dear Tiffany. You are beautiful! 💃

This was real special.

you are one awesome lady. I work in the medical field for 17 years, so I know that it's not always easy. I can tell that you are one of the good one's! God speed to you🤗

I Think Kari is such a amazing person and great speaker and explains everything so well should of been a teacher great job !

While working as a driver at a "white " funeral home , the director would call in a black embalmer, if a black family entrusted the care of thier family member to him. This was done due to the "art " required in making a person look thier best. This was done out of respect to the family and the deceased.

Really looking forward to this segment. I actually remember the original newspaper article, from several years ago, so this will be most interesting.

For some reason race always seems to come into play. Why? It shouldn’t. Yes different races or different religions may have different funeral traditions, but a funeral home is a funeral home. Dignity Memorial has a funeral home in Stockbridge Georgia and McDonough Georgia that it does not matter the race nor the religion. Thank you Tiffany for what you’re doing! Thank you Kari for the interview and video!

Kari, thanks for such a great video! Both of you ladies have such compassion and insight into what will benefit and bless people during a very difficult season in our lives. Tiffany’s ‘total care in one place’ goal is wonderful. Tiffany, if I lived in your community, I’d love to work with you and help modify attitudes and traditions that lean towards keeping us divided. What an exciting journey you’re on with your ministry! Prayers that every good thing keep falling into place and soon make your dreams a reality.

This video is so cool. What an awesome lady is Tiffany.

Death is not into identity politics...it takes anyone. As a good friend once told me, "There are people dying today who have never died before.' Great interview. I couldn't find the address online.

Wow, 2 ladies with the same goal and passion of caring for people at the end of their life. I wish Mrs. Smith lots of luck. She is in this business for the right reason. It is nice to see her family helping and becoming involved in the business as well. Maybe in the future the sign will read Smith Family Funeral home. Very sweet of your mom to make pound cakes and I thought your blankets were lovely and a very classy touch. Wishing you all the best😉

Such a wonderful lady. Wish her continued success in her family serving family's in their time of need. It is such a kind gesture that she gives the family's those beautiful blankets.

What a lovely lady..❤

I live in a ver small town in Louisiana in a pretty small parish population-wise. We have two “white” funeral homes and one “black” funeral home. Until very recently there was no mixture between these homes. Not for any devious reasons. Just because that’s how it’s always been. Very recently we’ve had a few white families choose to use our black funeral home. That makes me so happy. This area is very stuck in its ways and quite loyal. The two white funeral homes had its families that used them exclusively as mine has. For many generations my family has used one in particular and I never thought that would change. But I’m now seeing it might and it makes me happy.

What an amazing woman that Tiffany is! I’m blessed to reside in an area that there isn’t much racism and my parents taught my sister and I that we’re all created equal and we must love one another. Thank you Kari for this. I wish Tiffany and her family the very best. Thank you again Kari.

This is a wonderful interview. I agree--it is time for racism to go away. We had an employee--a man of colour--succumb to his heart disease. My boss arranged for the gentleman's body to be taken to one of the local funeral homes. I called to get the hours for Visitation, and was told in a very snotty tone "We don't do Black people here." Imagine her shock when I told her I'd hold on the phone while she went to check! Oh, she was "so just sweet" when she came back with the information. This funeral home currently services people of any colour.

Hey "Motorcycle Boots"! An excellent video as usual. People do not understand that the funeral industry is segregated. That's the way it is. So glad Ms. Tiffany is changing things. More great videos please.

God bless Tiffany and you of course

I love you Tiffany for being such a respectful lady and being a female in this business. I have not heard of a female in your business in my area. One funeral home has dominated here for over a hundred years. I wish we had you here. You seem like such a lovely person. Thank you Kari for the things you teach us! Roanoke, Va.

Miss Tiffany has a kind & beautiful soul! ❤️

This was such an interesting video. I felt such compassion from both of you ladies. If ever we need compassion, it is when we have lost a loved one.

Loved this Kari. Such an inspiration, two ladies in the business talking about my favorite subject. Awesome 👏

Kari is so smart and will help anyone she is willing to learn all cultures

Maybe tears is the secret ingredient in Grandma's Pound Cake.❤

Kari, you would have made a great journalist in another calling. You most definitely have the spiritual gifts of compassion, helps and discernment. God has gifted you with the ability to interact with diverse peoples and work across cultures. As a fourth generation member of the death care industry, I applaud your work. I love your videos, but I much more appreciate the humanity that shows through. God bless you and your family as you serve others in their times of deepest need.

I'm a white woman with curly hair. Most white women don't know how to fix curly hair. Just saying

As we move away from the "old neighborhood" mindset with its funeral home that families relied upon for generations, I think/hope that race and culture will become less of a barrier. To this end, funeral directors will need to be prepared to assist families of all backgrounds represented within a particular community unless that director and/or funeral home intends to specialize in assisting families of a particular race, culture, or tradition (e.g. Jewish or, Black). This doesn't require one to become an expert in Russian Orthodox/Ukrainian Orthodox/Byzantine Catholic/Roman Catholic funeral rites and customs, for example, rather, have an understanding of what is involved and who to call/ask. In this example, the Priest and Cantor will know what to do liturgically, but the Funeral Director will need to know to ask what they will need and how much space and other accommodations might be necessary to celebrate a memorial service (panachida) in the funeral home (e.g. turn off the fire alarm as incense will be used). Building on this example, they will need to know how the casket is to be brought into the church, where it is to be positioned for the first and last gospels, and how the candles are to be set around the bier. Again, expert knowledge is not required, knowing to ask is. If a funeral home can demonstrate it's ability to do this and be compassionate, it will be successful. My point, I don't think selection is wholly driven by race; rather, it is in-part driven by logistics - what's convenient / a reasonable distance and, at a very vulnerable time, where a family's cultural and faith-based needs will be best understood and executed. At the same time, it would be naive to think there isn't racism somewhere within the industry. I wish Ms. Smith continued success. She looks to have a beautiful facility, an equally beautiful outlook and a very positive presence within that community.

Congratulations Miss Tiffany! God bless you!

I live in St. Louis! So glad you got a chance to visit!

Did you get a pound cake for visiting? I wonder how good they taste? I bet they are amazing! You can really see the love that Tiffany and her family have for everybody they come in contact with and it is such a wonderful way to let God's light shine!!!!

Nice video. I had no clue about different funeral homes for blacks & whites.

This will be a superb video.

Thanks for this wonderful video Kari!! Tiffany seems like a god send too these families and omg Pound Cake sounds so delicious now!! Bless her grannies heart for doing that for the families!! also love her vison of a place where all families can come together to mourn and gather to be around each other!

What an amazing video!! @Kari the Mortician lf l could've liked this more than once l would've! What an amazing lady @Tiffany A Smith is!! Xoxox

I can tell Tiffany is a women of faith. I think that is why she is so kind and compassionate. May God Bless her and give her much success.

Kari.... just another reason to respect what you’re doing and how you do it. You really are a remarkable woman. Tiffany seems like a truly remarkable woman as well. You can see how much she loves the Lord and wants to work for Him.

It shouldn’t have to be a race thing. What a sweet lady. Love the pound cake story.

OMG I love her. She’s just doing her. I love that she’s like ok I’m a woman and I’m African American but that don’t matter I’m doing what God put me here to do.

I love that she doesn't see it as paving a way. But she is. I'm sure Rosa Parks never saw herself as paving a way either. She just didn't want to give up her seat... Honestly, if there was a interracial funeral home around here, I'd use one. I mean have you ever been to a black funeral? They Rock!! Actually i always figured maybe they had to use different stuff than we do or something. I know their dead stay "pretty" longer than we do. And of course the makeup shades would differ some but we are all people. It has to be doable though because there are many interracial couples so I'm sure they use the same funeral home. At least i would think they do. Long story short.. I believe all funeral homes should be interracial. We all bleed red. We all die and we all go to the same Heaven. We hope. I do have one request.. Can the black folks teach us how to have a funeral? I've been to 3 black funerals. All 3 of them, we absolutely Rocked the place. Guitars, drums and the whole congregation literally danced, rejoiced and oh my God it was awesome. We are so quiet, you can't even open candy without getting funny looks. It's sad. We need all the help we can get..

I absolutely love mrs Tiffany Smith. A beautiful human being, more stories like this could change anyone’s heart. You are loved!!!

Much respect Kari!

Such a wonderful lady. If we lived there I definitely would have used her when my mom died in 2015.

As a social worker I so appreciated this. Favorite

Why does race have to be an issue? Answer: Trust. When you place a loved one in someone’s care, you need to TRUST that the people caring for them will treat them like family. Black people do not have that faith and confidence in a race other than their own. People hate us in life, why wouldn’t they hate us and humiliate us in death? If my Grandmother passed, and a white owned and staffed funeral home came to take her, I feel like I would need to be there with her every step of the way, to make sure she was treated with dignity by people who share a race with people who did NOT treat her with dignity in life. To avoid that worry, she will go to a black owned and staffed funeral home.

OMG I live in Overland Missouri, but I am just now starting to watch your videos.

I love this video thanks Kari

Caucasian and African American funerals always been segrated for sometime. My great Aunt Lilly who passed away in 2011 as I remember, there was also funeral home up the road from the one my great aunt Lilly by marriage and my great Uncle Vernon Loving, however I asked the funeral director there about the funeral home up the road and his response was that was a black persons funeral home. I have to agree that it's time to end segregated funeral homes because of race. The dead loved ones can still have good funeral services, buried,and what their wishes were to be respected.

I love this SO MUCH. So, so much. Be glad you still have Grannie's cakes. I'm a baker. I carry on the families' cakes. I wanted the gift of caring for them after life but I didn't get that one. I'm still hoping my daughter carries on that dream of mine, but even if she doesn't, I'm still thankful for her memory Best of wishes, Tiffany and family,

A great American success story that has nothing to do with race but talent, sacrifice and hard work.

I so enjoyed this interview.

Awesome

It’s amazing that the funeral business became primarily run by men... because I have a feeling that when families took care of their deceased members, women, primarily took care of them. Men came in to carry the body to its final resting place(I.e. pallbearers)

There was 3 black funeral homes here in rhode island and they all began with b's bells brights and Bailey's but baileys is closed now after the father which was the owner had died

This is very touching, i think about race alot, im in the united kingdom, generally here we would use a white based funeral home and i dont know why that is, black/coloured people are just as good,kind,caring,helpful, as white people, i would have no problem in using a funeral home such as tiffany's, i dont know why race comes into these things or anything in life, i understand perhaps if somone has a religion and they want certain services they may go to a funeral home within that religion but otherwise i dont understand it, big thankyou to this lovely lady and her family for sharing this, i hope her dream of everything in one place comes true very soon xx

I like her. She's nice. You are both nice. Nice counts.

Hello Ms Smith. Blessings from Georgia/ USA. YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY. SKIN COLOR DOESNT MATTER, JESUS DIED FOR HUMANS NOT SKIN COLORS.

I thoroughly enjoyed this segment! Big question for Tiffany and Kari ... why doesn't the African American community in St Louis make more use of obituaries? I've been reading obituaries in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for decades, and the African American community has always been noticeably under represented. What are the historical reasons for that? It couldn't just be economics (although they are rather expensive). Any thoughts?

I am in saint louis & Im looking for somewhere to do my 40 hour shadowing by the Fall... I wonder if she would be willing to help me :)

That's a good footage I wish it all could be this way love u ladies

Come to Little Rock I'll show you our cemetery, it is from the 1800's, the church is still there and at times has a funeral there.

That was real interesting , I would love too get in on that tomb stone business, that looks like it would be fun.

Love her!

Aww, a pound cake from her Momma, how sweet 😋

Kari, what do you guys do with the casket keys you end up with at the end of a service?

Why does race matter when it comes to a funeral director? I'm in school for mortuary science to be a funeral director and never have I thought does someones race matter. Everyone deserves to go to their resting place with dignity.

Why is " HER RACE/BROWN, AND NOT BLACK, AN ISSUE"? The Lord Jesus Christ opened that door for her beautiful business. Now, God created her, and she's a female. As a Elder/woman of God, she walking in her calling.

I always wondered how they engraved headstones😳

Why do funeral home in cemeteries at the same locations have different names ?

Reporters have an angle...help sell papers, magazines...

Race always been issued for 100 year's now . Can't aviod racism . breaking barriers for African American women in furneral industry is beyond the next generation

Why does everything have a race connection to it . I work in emergency over and I get that all the time please get off the race subject . When I treat someone I can care less what race they are . And Yes I get tossed in my face all the time .