“Monumental Decisions” forum audio and transcripts available online

On July 23 Louisiana Cultural Vistas hosted a scholarly panel on the history and contested fate of four Confederate monuments in New Orleans with historians Justin Nystrom of Loyola University, Molly Mitchell of the University of New Orleans, Laura Rosanne Adderley of Tulane University, and Greg Osborn of the New Orleans Public Library. Statues of Civil War generals Robert E. Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard, Confederate president Jefferson Davis, and the obelisk marking the 1874 Battle of Liberty Place have all been proposed for removal or relocation by Mayor Mitch Landrieu. In response to the current debate, “Monumental Decisions: Confederate Memorials in the 21st Century” drew a standing-room-only crowd at the Louisiana Humanities Center and elicited vigorous discussion among the panelists and audience.

An audio recording and transcript of the forum can now be heard and read at the magazine’s website by clicking here. Future discussions on this topic hosted by Louisiana Cultural Vistas are being scheduled at other venues in metro New Orleans and updates will be posted at this website.