There was very good news recently on the issue of Confederate-themed memorials, symbols, monuments, celebrations and military bases: according to NPR, all nine Army bases that were named for Confederate generals have now officially been renamed. Journalist Jay Price reports, “Fort Gordon in Georgia is now Fort Eisenhower.” As we noted earlier, decades after the […]
Confederacy
Resources and Some Good News For Black History Month 2023
There are movements afoot in our country – by those on the political right, including many elected officials at all levels of government – to reverse social, racial and economic progress that most Americans acknowledge has been made over the past 40-50 years. “Progress,” however, is not how those Americans on the right characterize certain […]
Expressing Gratitude for Small Miracles
In order to keep sane during challenging times, it is always fruitful to express gratitude for things that go right or that bring hope. From a progressive perspective in the United States, we do have a few pieces of news for which we can shout “hurrah!” Confederate Monuments Come Tumbling Down In Richmond, VA, the […]
A Virtual Pilgrimage to Civil Rights Sites in Alabama II: Montgomery and Concluding Thoughts
In Part I, we laid out the basics of a “virtual pilgrimage” to civil rights sites in Birmingham and Selma, Alabama. Here we will visit sites in Montgomery. One in particular was rather disturbing for its pro-Confederacy perspective; all provide food for thought. Notes from Montgomery Equal Justice Initiative, including the National Memorial for Peace […]
The Legacy of Slavery, Part II: The “Lost Cause” Narrative and Confederate Symbols and Monuments
In our previous post, we examined some of the current discussion around reparations for slavery. Many factors are coming together in our society that make it apparent that our “original sin” of slavery still has serious ramifications more than 150 years after the Civil War, ramifications that need addressing sooner rather than later because of […]
A Profile in Courage, Mitch Landrieu: Someone to Watch
On May 20, 2018, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Mass., the 2018 Profile in Courage Award was presented to former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. He was honored “for his leadership in relocating four of the Confederate monuments in New Orleans while offering candid, clear and compassionate reflections on the moment […]