ABOUT US

    SHUGAR'S, a Detroit, Michigan based firm was founded in 1979 by Miriam E. Pipes. Initially, Shugar's was a mail order import/export firm, with cyclist gloves as its primary product.

    SHUGAR'S has evolved into a public relations firm, following the huge financial success of a national convention for Central State University, with SHUGAR'S founder as its general chairperson.

    Organizations who utilize SHUGAR'S public relations/publishing services include: Central State University Alumni, West Virginia State College Alumni, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Swanson Funeral Homes, Inc., National Funeral Directors ad Mortician Association, WBEE Radio, (Chicago, IL) Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Detroit Public Schools, Ellitorian Business Women's Club, African-American Museum, Roads Inc. and the Michigan Alliance of Black School Educators.

    As a consultant to the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association and to the Michigan Selected Mortician Association, Miriam E. Pipes was the general convention consultant 1983 National Convention, in Detroit and Editor-in-Chief of the following publications: 46th Annual Convention, NFD & MA (1983) Souvenir Journal and the 1st and 2nd Editions of NFD & MA's 1985 and 1987 Directories.

   In 1993, SHUGAR'S became a publishing company with The Purple Directory as its primary product. The Purple Directory is a listing of approximately 2,700+ African-American funeral firms, nation wide by state and city. It includes the names, addresses, and telephone numbers, fax numbers and essential contact personnel of funeral homes. Mailing labels are a bi-product of The Purple Directory as well as web site advertising on www.purpledirectory.com. Inclusive in The Purple Directory is information relating to resources for grief counseling, which are helpful to teachers, social workers, psychologists and other mental health professionals.

ABOUT THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Miriam E. Pipes 

She is a public schools' retired psychologist/administrator (35.8 years) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education from Central State University (OH) and a Master of Science Degree in Business Education from the University of Michigan. Miriam obtained an Education Specialist in School and Clinical Psychology from Wayne State University, where, too, she was a doctoral candidate in General Administration and Supervision.

Miriam is a Life and Silver Star member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and an honorary life member of the West Virginia State College alumni, in addition to being an alumni member of Central State, the University of Michigan and Wayne State universities.

    Her initial journalistic experience began at her hometown high school in Indianapolis, IN where she was Editor of the Crispus Attucks News as well as a member of the yearbook staff.

IN THE NEWS

    In the funeral home business, morticians often serve families by finding morticians in other parts of the country for distant relatives. Now, thanks to Miriam E. Pipes, (Editor-in-Chief) African-American morticians can find other African-American morticians conveniently. Through her entrepreneurial business call Shugar's Pipes publishes "The Purple Directory," which lists more than 3,000 + African-American mortuaries in the United States. The directory like its Yellow and Red counterparts, makes it easier for funeral home directors to connect with other morticians when bodies need to be shipped. Pipes, a Detroit Public School psychologist, (retired) said she found her way into this venture by association rather than by intention.

    "I did the 306-page book for a funeral directors' convention in Detroit in 1983," said Pipes. In 1985, the predominantly black National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, (then) based in Chicago, (now Atlanta), commissioned Pipes to publish a directory of minority directors. But printing stopped after that edition. Then, in 1994, Pipes, who published souvenir books and directors for other organizations, decided to start Shugar's. Pipes said she publishes the directory so that funeral directors can help families deal with death of a loved one. "These things help us to honor and remember the deceased, and it deals with a more personal side (to the issue)" In the mortuary business, as in the clothing and hair style industries, people have a tendency to stay within their own ethnicities when it comes to service.

    Pipes said the directory helps to maintain the funeral as a valued African-American custom. "This keeps the tradition of black funerals as part of our black culture." Pipes said, "For example, if you send a loved one to a black director in Alabama, that director will know what the family wants." (Dr.) O'Neil Swanson, president of Swanson Funeral Homes, a Detroit based funeral director listed in the Purple Directory, makes burial arrangements for customers of all ethnicities.

    But he said many of his clients are African-Americans who choose to go to black directors. "There is a sensitivity and a concern that I feel can only be provided by our own," said Swanson. "So the Purple Directory is very necessary so we can interact and communicate with each other." Having immediate access to the Purple Directory helped Mary Robinson when, in 1994, her father died in a nursing home in rural Florida. With the directory, she said she was able to find Stone Brothers Funeral Home nearby and with a phone call, arrange for his burial. "I was able to have information faxed to me in Detroit," said Robinson, a Detroit (schools') social worker. "They were able to follow through with a funeral policy, and take care of the arrangements..."

CONTACT US

Shugar's Publishing

Address: P.O. Box 38665, Detroit, MI 48238-0665

Telephone/Fax: (313) 836-8600 or (800) 377-9129

E-mail: purfuneral@aol.com or Pipesi@aol.com