El Camalenque - Pallbearers

El camalenque (a vocational identity) are Afro-Peruvian men who are highly sought to carry coffins at the most upscale funerals in Peru. Clad in tuxedos and white gloves they are hired under the belief that their skin-color lends an aura of elegance to the job. In Peru, where racism against blacks and indigenous natives is strong, dark skin is not only used to exclude but to symbolize servitude. Peru's Ministry of Culture has denounced the practice of the camalenque as racist and requested - to no avail - that the mortuary business end the service.