Hate Can’t Teach: Why statue removal is NOT historical erasure

Confederate monuments spawn controversy wherever they sit, and recently their removal has caused emotional uproar from all sides of the political spectrum. These ghostly shells of the past represent the myth of the Lost Cause, striking slavery from the list of reasons why the Civil War was fought and turning blame towards the North. Our special guests, Katie Bramell, a museum professional who tackled this subject at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and her former co-worker Jesse Kramer, the director of Exhibits and Collections at Conner Prairie join Zoë and Easton to unpack the issue; if our country almost split in half, what is there to celebrate? From the deep South to the heart of Indiana, these harmful celebrations still negatively impact people who simply want to live lives free of fear. How do we deal with issues beyond flags and statues? What role do museums have in all of this? Can a monument truly receive proper interpretation? We’ll try to answer these questions as best we can!

Description of and link to Through2Eyes: https://www.through2eyes.com/ 

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Website: https://freedomcenter.org/ 

Link to Kehende Wiley New Yorker article: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/kehinde-wileys-anti-confederate-memorial 

Description of and link to civic love questions: https://www.nphm.org/civiclove

Links to Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Confederate-States-of-America/The-Confederacy-at-war 

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2020/06/08/garfield-park-confederate-monument-history/5319718002/ 

https://www.indianaconnection.org/the-battle-of-corydon-memorial-park/ 

https://www.indyartsguide.org/public-art/confederate-soldiers-sailors-monument/ 

https://publichistory.iupui.edu/items/show/250?tour=30&index=0 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/27/the-statue-graveyard-where-torn-down-confederate-monuments-lie 

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2018/stone-mountain-monumental-dilemma 

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/kehinde-wileys-anti-confederate-memorial&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1714674240156546&usg=AOvVaw25CmBjt9EKu9__2yCBThb_