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INTERVIEW: How We're Failing New Morticians
01/20/2023
INTERVIEW: How We're Failing New Morticians
Mortuary schools began as embalming schools, sponsored by embalming chemical companies. Today, mortuary schools are designed to be more holistic, covering everything a new mortician may face in the industry. But what groups are being left out of this education? The last decade has brought hard discussions around serious gaps in what is taught to students and if they're ready for the reality of working in the death industry. In this episode Caitlin talks with two funeral directors, Joél Maldonado and Ezra Salter to discuss race and gender in funeral education and practice. Episode Guests Joél Maldonado is a funeral director, sacred end-of-life and grief care professional, and educator. Learn more on her website, . Ezra Salter (they/them) is a Louisiana licensed funeral director and embalmer, a board member of , a New Orleans based deathcare non-profit, and co-creator of the . Episode Resources Sandi Baker article mentioned in the episode, to Remove Racist and Discriminatory Language From Mortuary College Dress Codes and Handbooks Order of the Good Death, Working in Death: Audio excerpt from Ask a Mortician webseries, : Black Hair and Skin Care for Non-Ethnic Funeral Professionals Episode Credits: Hosted by Caitlin Doughty Produced by the Order of the Good Death, Sarah Chavez and Lauren Ronaghan Edited by Alex de Freitas Music by Kissed Her Little Sister Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng
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