monuments

It's Up to McCarthy to Remove Statues of Slavers from the Capitol

A third of the artworks in the Capitol depict slaveholders. Whether they're replaced with other works, possibly those celebrating liberators, is largely up to the new House Speaker. 

Why I Vandalized Ole Miss's Confederate Statue

Zach Borenstein explains why he painted "Spiritual Genocide" on the base of a campus Confederate memorial, and why he wishes he had talked with local activists first. 

Philly's Columbus Statue is Out of the Box—So is the Discussion About His Legacy

Historian Hasan Kwame Jeffries talks about controversial statues: one removed in Richmond, and one uncovered in Philadelphia.

The Troubling History of Arlington Cemetery's Confederate Monument

by Samantha Baskind

The monument misrepresents the history of the Confederacy, and is itself a document of the way that white supremacy enabled a national "reconciliation" after the Civil War. 

The Monument Controversy We Aren't Discussing

by Cynthia C. Prescott

Outside of the former Confederacy, efforts to replace "Pioneer Mother" statues with depictions of Native American women have sparked a backlash including outright theft.

A Century After its Dedication, the Lincoln Memorial's Meaning is Still Contested

by Patrick Malone

From its dedication to the present, the meaning and legacy of Lincoln and his memorial have been the focus of struggle between those who see Lincoln as the savior of the Union and those who claim him as the great emancipator.

Virginia's Governor Took Away the Most Important Piece of Protest Art in the Country. What Should He Have Done?

Outgoing governor Ralph Northam removed the graffiti-covered pedestal of the former Robert E. Lee monument, which has become a site of community gathering and a public forum to express alternative visions of history. Cities should try to encourage such openness (if not spray-painting). 

An Exclusive Look at the New WWI Memorial

Sculptor Sabin Howard's ambitious design for the memorial relied on the modern power of digital photography to capture motion and the old-school forming of clay to freeze it in time. 

Will Monuments Honoring People of Color Replace Confederate Statues?

by Frederick Gooding, Jr.

"With few new exceptions, public and prominent statues of Blacks people are nonexistent."

The Fate of Richmond's Confederate Monuments Lies with a Black Organization – As it Should Be

Columnist Michael Paul Williams writes that the decision to turn Confederate memorial statues over to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia shows the arc of the universe bending toward justice, but taking an occasional turn through irony. 

Post Editors: Statue or No, Teddy Roosevelt's Complex Legacy is Still with Us

It's appropriate for Theodore Roosevelt's statue to be removed from its position as a figurehead for the Museum of Natural History, but just as appropriate for the statue to be housed in the new Roosevelt Presidential Library where TR's complicated legacy can be more fully addressed, say the Post's editorial board members.

Richmond's Lee Statue, other Confederate Memorials Could go to Black History Museum

Marland Buckner, interim executive director of the Black History Museum, said in the release that his institution “takes very seriously the responsibility to manage these objects in ways that ensure their origins and purpose are never forgotten: that is the glorification of those who led the fight to enslave African Americans and destroy the Union.”

Virginia to Dismantle Lee Statue Plinth

Outgoing Governor Ralph Northam will execute the removal of the pedestal and the transfer of the surrounding traffic circle to the City of Richmond before Glenn Youngkin succeeds him in office. 

Phil Collins Sets Off a New Battle Over the Alamo

The singer's gift of his artifact collection has reignited controversy about how the events of 1836 should be commemorated in the state's complex history. 

The National Monument Audit Asks: Who Do American Honor Most?

A study of 50,000 monuments by Monument Lab shows Lincoln, Washington and Columbus are still broadly honored in public places, but mermaids have more monuments than congresswomen do. 

Richmond's Lee Statue Has Come Down. What About Confederate Memorials in Cemeteries?

by Jeffrey Smith

The statue of Robert E. Lee on Richmond’s Monument Avenue finally came down, to both fanfare and controversy. But some Confederate monuments are even more politically loaded—the ones where we bury the dead.

Santa Fe's Historian Looks Ahead from Controversial Past

City Historian Valerie Rangel hopes to engage residents of Santa Fe with the complex and difficult histories of colonialism and racism that still shape the city and region. 

Where They Stood: A Photojournalist Documents the Nation's Fallen Confederate Monuments

"Last fall, I began to document the Confederate monuments that have been taken down since George Floyd’s death. In April, I started a five-week, 7,300-mile road trip throughout the South to continue this work."

When Monuments Go Bad

Chicago is engaging in a broad and unprecedented study of the city's monuments and the political and cultural implications of memorialization in public space. Will this help avoid the bitter controversies and protests that have erupted in other cities? 

Black Protesters Have Been Rallying Against Confederate Statues for Generations

by Karen L. Cox

The movement to remove monuments and memorials to the Confederacy and historical figures with ties to racism or slavery is not new; it should be recognized as part of a longstanding effort by African Americans to challenge the public veneration of white supremacy.