First, read the following recent article from The Baltimore Sun:
https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-pr-md-empty-pedestals-20210325-vps3rej2tzdh7oszsy3j3c5nfu-story.html Johnathan M. Pitts. 26 March 2021. “4 Confederate statues stood as Baltimore landmarks. Now, their pedestals stand ready to send a new message. But what?” The Baltimore Sun (pdf). Access the original to see the images referenced. Then, evaluate the sites of memory (lieux de memoire) described, in terms of their importance or relevance to public memory and public commemoration in the United States, based on what you have learned in our class this semester. Address at least the following in your cohesive essay built around an introductory paragraph with a clear thesis statement (do not submit a list of bullet point responses – this will earn zero points; the expectation is a cohesive essay with a clear thesis statement and clear structure). Summarize:
In a short paragraph or two, describe the landscapes of public memory that are the topic of the article and the issues related to them that are generating controversy. Be specific and frame the controversies in the context of public memory. Evaluate:
Consider the context of when the monuments were installed, roughly between 1887 and 1948. In what ways are these monuments reflective of the same ideologies that shaped public memory in the Midwest before WWII, as described by Bodnar in Remaking America? In what ways do these monuments reflect different regional realities? What can you infer from the monuments about how American collective identity was officially perceived or constructed at the time? How does this official interpretation compare to contemporary vernacular interpretations? How, if at all, has the balance of official vs. vernacular interests shifted, in recent years? In other words, does the removal of the statues represent the triumph of vernacular interests or a substantial reassessment of what values frame official commemoration? Analyze: Consider national identity as a political form of collective belonging, as we explored early on in the course. How does public memory relate to the construction of national identity? How important are sites of public memory and commemoration — such as those illustrated in the Baltimore Sun article — for building or reinforcing specific forms of political identity? Are sites of public memory best understood as tools of a nationalizing state, that act alongside other official identity-building and identity-defining tools like censuses, maps, and museums, or are they more nuanced? What might Benedict Anderson say? Reflect: Based on what you have learned in the course, especially in the last several weeks, what do you think should be placed on the empty pedestals described? What should be done with the statues that have been removed, and why? How would you address competing, equally legitimate, vernacular claims to what should be done?
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