[Rick W.]

Being of an age where one tends to glance through the obituaries from time to time, I have come to notice that in most cases blacks specifically make reference to having the title of Mr. or Master proceeding their name in their death announcement. I find that this is not the case for other races. Can anyone explain why this is?

User Detail :  

Name : Rick W., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 45, City : Flint, State : MI, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[G.E. Long]

The reason is respect. For years, black people have been called various names due to the social climate (‘Auntie’ and ‘Boy,’ de facto names during segregation, are examples) or due to the lessening/degradation of manners (my father hates it when a 16-year-old clerk calls him by his first name without asking permission first). Because respect for age isn’t applied/accounted for in life, it is applied/accounted for in death.

User Detail :  

Name : G.E. Long, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Catholic, City : Chicago, State : IL, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Andrea K.]

I think there may also be a class thing going on (although I cannot say so for sure, as I live in a state that has very few African-Americans). In Paul Fussell’s book Class, he remarks about the desire of class-nervous men to be called Mister, and brings up the example of Ol’ Blue Eyes, who was always introduced with ‘… Ladies and Gentlemen, Mister Frank Sinatra.’

User Detail :  

Name : Andrea K., Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 40, City : Farmington, State : ME, Country : United States, Occupation : teacher/musician, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

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