Seeking Human Rights for the Dead: The Case of Massachusetts

At an average of $9,000 funeral costs and laws that restrict legal responsibility for the dead to intimate kin alone, the numbers of those who can't afford a proper burial and funeral and those who go unclaimed upon death are on the rise in the United States. What, if any, right do the dead have for a "dignified" ending? Matthew Mazzuchelli is a licensed funeral director and Decedent Affairs Coordinator for South Shore Health in Massachusetts. Mazzuchelli founded The Black Tie Coalition, a non-profit that works with state legislatures and local funeral companies to advocate for affordable deathcare and dignity for all. Matthew's talk will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Dr. Anne Allison, Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University. Sponsored by the Human Rights for the Dying and Dead Initiative Co-sponsored by Duke Human Rights Center and Durham County Main Library