This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, Jennie and Dianne are joined by guest host Ryan Seidemann to discuss thoughtful questions from his summer semester students at Arizona State University.
This conversation is especially timely following recent reports of a historic cemetery being disturbed in Hickman County, Tennessee, a case that has been heartbreaking for descendant communities.
We explore:
Why does development pressure continue in urban areas that include historic cemeteries, even when legal and ethical concerns are involved?
How have cemeteries connected to marginalized communities been overlooked or lost over time, and what could community-led preservation look like?
How can communities and policymakers protect historic cemeteries when there are no known living descendants and limited funding for preservation?
Should there be stronger requirements for documentation and preservation review before ground is broken near a known cemetery site?
Join Jennie, Dianne, and Ryan as they discuss how to balance progress with respect for the dead and their descendants.
@diannehartshorn @arizonastateuniversity
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