Exploring Social Identities, Symbols, and Architectural Designs in a Rural Black Cemetery

This study explored social identities and symbols in a rural black cemetery in Northern Louisiana. Tombstones and grave markers were used to obtain social/demographic information about historical families of the late 1800s to present. They were also used to identify artifacts depicting the cultural practices, beliefs, and values of the deceased. Some of the preliminary findings included: the identification of a co-founder of Grambling State University; the inscription on a tombstone which identifies who requested the first president of Grambling to come; a tomb with a picture of a piano and a car, suggesting maybe the occupation of the couple