Analyzing Confederate Symbols: History and Legacy

Extract

[...] Analyzing Confederate Symbols: History and Legacy Reading note 2 I. PART I: 1. Read Whose Heritage? Public Symbols of the Confederacy Southern Poverty Law Center (roughly 10 pages without images) https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/whose-heritage-public-symbols-confederacy-3/ 2. List all the major points discussed in the article - history and legacy of the Confederacy: perpetuation of the Lost Cause mythology, racism and white supremacy in the US - importance of Confederate symbols, that are still very present today especially in the South - controversies around Confederate monuments: civil protests and political responses to the removal of Confederate statues - role of protective groups and laws trying to promote Confederate symbols and stop their removal 3. [...]

[...] Moreover, questioning its fate is also captivating as art is not always infinite, especially when it's on the street and/or subjected to various threats such as the possibility of it being taken down by anti-protest organizations. Last but not least, focusing on the issue of art ownership is really interesting as we are made aware of the difficulties surrounding the question of intellectual property in public spaces. For instance, as far as murals are concerned, it is sometimes very hard to judge whether they belong to the artist who painted them or to the owner of the wall on which the artwork was painted on. [...]

[...] But this tradition isn't new, as shown by the Wall of Respect in Chicago: indeed, Black artists have used art for a long time as a mean to denounce racial violence and systemic racism in the US. - issue of ownership of art pieces: there are some problems surrounding the ownership of artwork as it was made on the street or on walls. Consequently, in certain cases, it is unknown whether the owner should be the artist themselves or the municipalities - preservation of street art: some organizations like BCZ are trying to protect these pieces of art by cataloging them, helping artists claim them, or donating them to local or national museums so that they aren't taken down - importance of art in public spaces: can help people raise awareness about social issues in the US. [...]

[...] Lee Elementary (Washington) - Confederate holidays, such as Confederate Memorial Day 5. Explain what the Lost Cause is The Lost Cause is an American negationist historical theory that has been invented after the Civil war to cope with the loss of the South. It presents the Civil war in its best light, by putting forward values of heroism and bravery while refusing to acknowledge the clearly racist and supremacist undertones of the conflict. Moreover, it depicts fighters and soldiers as heroes that fought for rights and liberties, erasing their racist behaviours and actions. [...]

[...] Even after they lost the Civil War, Confederate still put forward ideas of white supremacy through texts or laws like the Jim Crow one. The celebration of the Confederacy that is still going on today also reinforces these racist ideologies. 4. List 1 or more examples of Confederate symbols - Confederate flag - Confederate statues present in the US Capitol for instance - Confederate monuments such as the Stone Mountain carving - Confederate historical markers highlighting specific events, places or figures related to the Confederacy and its soldiers - schools, streets, military buildings or roads named after Confederate figures, like the Robert E. [...]