The Confederacy’s reliance on slave labor throughout the Civil War is easily explained. The difference in population between North and South necessitated the mobilization of as many black bodies as possible. Enslaved people were needed on the home front to harvest crops for the army. They labored in mines, constructed rail lines and earthworks, and Read more

This morning I learned that the Texas monument, located on the Wilderness battlefield in Virginia, was recently spray painted with some colorful language. It’s the latest in a long string of incidents that extends all the way back to the war itself. Plenty of people are outraged, including Chris Mackowski, who shared his thoughts about Read more

Update: Thanks to the commenter below who clarified that individuals are not “made” veterans. They are veterans owing to their service. In this case, service in the United States army. It is absurd to think that Memorial Day is a day to honor Confederates who fell in battle along side the white and black Americans Read more

Every year since its publication in 2011 I share a piece written by historian David Blight that lifts the veil on what is very likely the first Decoration (Memorial) Day celebration. It’s a wonderful example of how history is lost and later remembered and why. On May 1, 1865 Charlestonians black community (mainly former slaves) Read more

Many of you will be pleased to hear that my proposal for a Confederate Monuments reader is now being reviewed by a very interested publisher. Along the way I decided to bring on Professor Hilary Green, who teaches at the University of Alabama, as a co-editor. The scope of the various sources is much richer Read more

I am always amazed by the hand-wringing that takes place for some when confronted with the undeniable evidence that the dedication of Confederate monuments was a moment to celebrate the virtues of those who fought for the Confederacy and the continued need to reaffirm white supremacy. These two goals were indistinguishable to white southerners during Read more

In October 1973 EBONY magazine published a piece about Tuskegee, Alabama’s black mayor, Johnny Ford. The article highlighted the split among the community’s black citizens over Ford’s leadership and policy agenda as well as his support of  Governor George Wallace and Richard Nixon. Included in the article was an interview with Florida B. Segrist, who Read more

In 1969 the Boston Globe [October 26, 1969] featured a story about Charles Evers – the brother of the slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers – who had recently been elected mayor of Fayette, Mississippi. The story focused on the many challenges faced by the city’s first black elected leader since Reconstruction within a broader Read more

Earlier today county Commissioner Jeff Rader told a local news station that  DeKalb County has decided to remove the Confederate monument located in front of the Dekalb County Courthouse in Decatur, Georgia. The monument was dedicated on April 25, 1908, just two years after the Atlanta race riots, which left dozens of African Americans dead Read more