IDS 101: Whose History? Whose Memory?

 The Confederate Monument to Robert E. Lee in New Orleans is removed from its perch on May 17, 2017  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lee_Removal.jpg

In recent years memorials and commemorative statues have become sites of conflict; some were torn down during the 2020 racial justice protests, while others became subjects of protracted court battles. Cities, states and universities regularly debate the racial and historical implications of monuments, markers, and place names. In addition, these controversies have opened up discussions about the silences in our landscape; the individuals or groups who should be memorialized but have been overlooked or ignored. This class will examine the debates over historical monuments and historical memory, as well as the increasingly polarized histories that fuel these debates. We will begin with the controversy over Civil War and Reconstruction memorials in the South and then move to more local, western iconography, including that on and near our own campus. Students will seek to answer questions such as: What have been the historical forces and local contexts that shaped decisions to memorialize some aspects of our history and neglect others? Which individuals and events should be immortalized in monuments? Are there memorials in our midst that represent individuals and values that seem problematic in the early 21st century and, if so, how should this be addressed? Who is missing from the memorial landscape and what does that reflect about our collective memory?