Of Confederate Flags and Monuments

With the official end of summer upon us I decided to go back and list in chronological order all of the posts I have written about the ongoing debate about Confederate iconography going back to June.  I’ve been reviewing much of what I have written in preparation for a panel discussion that I will join in just a couple of weeks at the annual meeting of the American Association for State and Local History in Louisville. Participants include Bob Beatty, Dina Bailey, Steve Murray, W. Todd Groce and Eric Emerson. It promises to be an engaging discussion.

The other reason for going back is to try to make sense of what I’ve said and to see what threads, if any, can be discerned throughout. This brings me to an important point about blogging. Individual posts are very much time sensitive. They are opportunities to try out ideas and to see where things go. I’ve been pushed in different directions over the summer in response to various developments, many of which took me by surprise. In other words, you should expect that my thinking is going to evolve over time. Blogging is much more jazz improvisation than a carefully composed concerto.

Listing posts in chronological order will hopefully give you a better sense of where I started out and where I am in regard to many of these issues today.

And there you have it. I should also point out that the comments sections following many of these posts are well worth your attention and I thank each of you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

One final reminder. Every year individual posts on this site end up as assigned readings in various college and high school classes. This year is no different and in the case of two schools I am already scheduled to Skype with students to field questions and continue the discussion. As long as my schedule permits it I am happy to talk with your students via Skype. Contact me here for further details.

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1 comment… add one
  • Patrick Jennings Sep 4, 2015 @ 5:28

    I think it will be a remarkable session. I wish I could be there, but end of fiscal year games will keep me secured close to my desk.

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