Monuments, History, and Memory in the United States

In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, monuments tied to the violent histories of slavery, colonialism, and white supremacy have received renewed interest and debate. Protestors and individuals have defaced, toppled, and petitioned for the removal of Confederate monuments and statues to the white male power elite. This symbolic retributive violence and sometimes ritual care signals a challenge to the long-lived monument. This reading course explores public monuments and the ways in which artists and communities have negotiated history and the politics of memory and remembrance in the United States. We will evaluate the meaning and purpose of monuments that define American public spaces, investigating the problematic narratives and historic controversies surrounding such objects. The removal of monuments asks us to question whose histories have been forgotten, ignored, or suppressed, and what monumental justice might look like.