Community members gather to honor the lives of 19 African Americans at a vibrant jazz funeral.
New Orleans commemorated 19 African American individuals with a jazz funeral, marking the repatriation of their remains from Germany. The service, starting at Dillard University, blended lively music and cultural performances, acknowledging their humanity and legacy in the face of historical injustices. The remains, taken for discredited racial studies over 150 years ago, were honored in a powerful ceremony aimed at healing past wounds and fostering community remembrance.
New Orleans hosted a jazz funeral on May 31, 2025, to honor 19 African American individuals whose remains were recently repatriated from Leipzig, Germany, after being absent for over 150 years. The individuals’ skulls were taken to Germany in the 1800s for racially biased scientific studies that promoted discredited theories about African Americans’ intelligence. This memorial service served as a long-overdue acknowledgement of their humanity and a celebration of their contributions to the cultural heritage of New Orleans.
The jazz funeral began at Dillard University, moving through Congo Square to the Katrina Memorial, featuring lively performances by local artists including the Black Men of Labor and the Kumbuka Dancers. The ceremony was structured as a celebration of life, combining music and cultural expression to reflect on the individuals’ significance. Following the public service, their remains will be interred privately at the Hurricane Katrina Memorial.
Attendees were invited to view the proceedings which commenced at 9 a.m., leading into the official service at 11 a.m. at the Lawless Memorial Chapel within Dillard University. For those unable to attend in person, the ceremony was streamed online, allowing broader community participation.
The initiative to return the remains originated when Leipzig University reached out to New Orleans officials approximately two years before the event. The individuals commemorated at the funeral died at Charity Hospital in New Orleans between December 1871 and January 1872, indicating a grim chapter in the history of racial pseudoscience that sought to undermine the dignity of African Americans.
According to Dillard University, none of the descendants of these individuals could be located during the repatriation efforts, thereby highlighting the historical detachment brought on by racial injustices. The repatriation marks a significant moment as it represents the first major international restitution of Black Americans’ remains from a European institution.
During the ceremony, the dignity and humanity of the deceased were recognized, with efforts by the university and its collaborative partners to honor the legacy of those impacted by centuries of racial inequities. The committee responsible for overseeing the repatriation was chaired by Dr. Eva Baham from Dillard University, who emphasized the importance of confronting historical injustices through acts such as this memorial service.
Dillard University President Monique Guillory underscored the significance of the event not just as a remembrance but as a vital step in acknowledging the hard truths of history related to racial discrimination. This jazz funeral, steeped in local cultural traditions, serves as a platform for recognizing and honoring the lives and legacies of those who were subjected to exploitation and dehumanization in the name of pseudoscience.
The remains of the 19 individuals had been temporarily stored at the Katrina Memorial before their final interment. The whole event, from the performances to the procession, aimed to heal past wounds and foster a sense of community remembrance, ensuring that the stories of these individuals are not forgotten and that the legacies of their struggles for dignity and humanity continue to resonate through generations.
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