![]() Malcolm X’s killing at the hands of his former Nation of Islam acolytes was shocking but not surprising his house had been firebombed a few weeks earlier. 21, 1965, Malcolm X himself would receive one of the most memorable funerals Harlem had ever seen. Among the notable Harlemites to mourn there was Malcolm X, who conducted services at Unity on several occasions for Black Muslims. Unity quickly gained a strong reputation. Powell, publisher of the Amsterdam News, a Black New York newspaper, and one of the most successful Black entrepreneurs of his era. Unity had been founded a few years earlier by C.B. Hall graduated in 1956 and took a job at Unity Funeral Home, a Black establishment on Eighth Avenue in Harlem. In that role, Hall met Marilyn Monroe and Thurgood Marshall, among others. ![]() While studying he worked as a driver for Giovanni Buitoni, the millionaire president of the eponymous pasta maker. He took it north to the New York School of Embalming and Restorative Arts. His career was enabled by a moment of fortune: a college scholarship from an anonymous donor the year he graduated high school. “There’s a certain type of reverence around the lives of the people in our village, and there’s a respect and a dignity that goes around the preparation of your loved one and their final disposition.”īlack children’s professional aspirations meant little in rural Florida when Hall was growing up. “It’s about care and respect for the people we know, our families,” said Linda Thornton Hillery, a longtime friend whom Hall trained as a mortician in Rochester. That was particularly true in the Jim Crow South, where Black families could not depend on white churches, funeral homes or cemeteries to handle their loved ones’ bodies with respect - or at all. To some, morticians’ work seems ghoulish, but their importance is indisputable at the time of need. “It’s crazy, but that’s what he wanted to do.” “Chickens, frogs, whatever died, he buried it and he had a little funeral service for it,” Singletary said. ![]() Instead, Hall said simply, he’d just always wanted to be a funeral director. (Provided photo - Rochester Democrat & Chronicle) When you place your sacred trust in us, you can be confident that we will provide the very best of professional service.Joseph Hall’s funeral Home on West Main Street in downtown Rochester. It is our mission to bring people together to celebrate the life of their loved one and to create lasting tributes. Funeral and cremation services are designed to the needs of individual budgets and personalized to fit each family's style, custom, or faith. The Unity Funeral Services team is committed to providing you with the care and attention you deserve. By offering affordable services and products, our goal is to help lighten your burden during of time of need. Regardless of your family's economic situation, we will help you in making affordable, dignified arrangements. While families can visit our corporate office or Unity Chapel at Cliffdale, for your convenience we can make arrangements at your place of business or in the comfort of your own home. At Unity Funeral Services we will work with you to design a tribute tailored to meet your specific need and budget. During tough economic times it can be even more challenging. When a loved one passes the emotional burden can be quite unsettling.
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