Growing up in the Shadow of Confederate Monuments

COLUMNS

GROWING UP IN THE SHADOW OF CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS

Caroline Walker Bynum

I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1941. Some of my earliest memories include trips to Stone Mountain. In those days, Stone Mountain, Georgia, was a small town out in the country, clearly different from an Atlanta that was, even then, a bustling metropolis. The mountain — a giant monadnock (and I was proud of early learning such a big word) — was located just off Robert E. Lee Boulevard, which was really a narrow, dusty country highway (figure 1). Its huge gray presence hovered over the surrounding area, whose people and soil were poor, as is still true of much of the state of Georgia. None of the amusement park features were yet in place when my family, and later my high school friends and I, went there to hike: no chairlift and no SkyHike, only a few picnic tables at the foot of the sheer rock face, below which lay giant rock pieces from the huge carving.1 The gently sloping back side of the mountain offered a gradual if lengthy climb, with only one steep part close to the top. I must have been ten or eleven when I finally managed to make the more arduous climb and reach the top part of the mountain, having earlier always stopped before the steep slope and turned around.

1. On the white supremacist connections of the sculp- Mount Rushmore.” I thank the Very Reverend R. William tor of the Stone Mountain Memorial, Gutzon Borglum, Franklin for sharing his memories of growing up in the see Pietsch and Fortin, “How Mount Rushmore Became South as I was writing this article.

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COMMON KNOWLEDGE 164 My parents, born in the South but with graduate degrees from Harvard Univer Harvard from degrees graduate but with South the in born My parents, of. carving whatto a was it attention little butpaid finished not had been carving days), why the we wondered those vaguely in own of his car middle- my in (nostudent school high car family the drive to allowedwho were boys with trips first on some of our Stoneto Mountain 1950s the in school went high and in Iwas were. When really mountain hence the and showed carving how big the this because mostly Lee, E. Robert gigantic of the with the Wind ofauthor Gone the Mitchell, showed me of Margaret parents my however,impressed, pictures by I was was. Davis no I had idea who Jefferson named. been had whom father my after Jackson, Andrew with “Stonewall” Jackson Thomas confused I (figure think 2)? I distance. Photo byTruth Falcon Figure 1.Stone Mountain inDeKalb County, Stone Mountain, GA, viewed from a .org/w/index.php?curid=76686419. Such was the willful amnesia of the American South in the 1940s ’50s. and the in South American of the amnesia willful the was Such days those in Carving Memorial Confederate about the Iknow did What — Own work,CCBY- , and other dignitaries having a picnic on the shoulder shoulder on the apicnic having dignitaries other , and SA 4.0,commons.wikimedia class neighborhood owned a a neighborhood owned class - on 09 August 2021 by PRINCETON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY user Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/common-knowledge/article-pdf/27/2/163/929576/163bynum.pdf Photographer: JimBowen.Title:“Stone Mountain Carving.” Mountain, GA, depicting Jefferson Davis, RobertE.Lee, and Stonewall Jackson. Figure 2.Confederate CivilWar Memorial inStone Mountain Park, Stone of the Episcopal Church that supported lunch- supported that Church Episcopal of the agroup joined My parents 1952 his in campaign. Stevenson presidential for Adlai money collect to were mobilized we children and Truman, Harry FDR and both 2. liberals. sity, considered themselves while she told dire stories of attempted rape by Black men by rape of attempted stories she told dire while porch front on the swing the in sat comfortably and museum, Confederate local mementos for the collected (UDC), Confederacy United Daughters of the the in on membership herself prided grandmother My Virginia ways. determined about race. talked really childhood Butmy in no oneintegration. for fighters considered themselves mother died, fairly young, was always poorly paid. In later years, when grand my later years, In paid. poorly always was young, fairly died, mother my long after grandmother of Virginia my who care took Leslie, called), was education.) advanced any gain to of line in a long Walkers first the was My father family. the support to leave to had at school thirteen grandfather Alabama my descent; that down, E.’s Robert Lee, along way been had father. (It Harry” “Lighthorse aristocrat southern the from on descent nonetheless, herself, prided person, kinder gether alto an and vocal less grandmother, hear, please.” can My Alabama children the mumble “Not when and squirm to UDC) the join to (who mother my refused 8 esp. Vitae,” “Curriculum Bynum, see er’s opportunities, – 9; and Patek, “Tales from the Whitehead Mines.” Whitehead the from “Tales Patek, and 9; For the story of how sexism limited my brilliant moth brilliant my limited sexism ofhow story For the My grandparents on both sides were racists in both thoughtless and explicit, explicit, and thoughtless both in were sides racists on both My grandparents Relationships with Blacks were stereotypical. The “colored The woman” (as she were stereotypical. Blacks with Relationships 2 My father had been a passionate supporter of of supporter apassionate been had My father - counter sit-counter — ins in the 1960s and 1960s and the in ins stories that moved that stories - -

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Schools see to church. my to and family, my to friend, my to clouded relationship my permanently but guilt my To Ididn’t day, what say, to that know Iregret this things. about such didn’t talk just southerners old. And years or mother. my of to it nine Sharon to either Iwas speak to but not Idid dare with, burn Istill humiliation and aguilt experienced I revised), been since has (the liturgy service that in death for Jews Christ’s the of the blaming time first for the Iheard seder. me When her to family’s invited kindly who so had friend the with service Thursday aMaundy we share that innocence, in I’m Ifelt certain proposed, when mother my responsibility and guilt hideous of the write to bear essay earlier that But not Icould in synagogue. third- my Flicka that had been bitten by asnake. by bitten been had that Flicka dog black named alittle with road, on adirt country, the into back far of atrip is Alabama, Trussville, in farm of memories the of One earliest my assumptions. mysterious what were, achild, to with were fraught relations more cordial and Even friendlier came. when they Black rapists imagined the off ward to purse, plastic acracked in checks her dividend her pillow, under pistol with along rusty a“gift.” as kept a To Granny end grandmother my to of her the life, them offer and aneighbor to groceries buy to funds provide then and money surreptitiously send to Leslie Ihad for food, pay to or even her salary increase to refused mother squirmed with unease at certain things I heard in church. in I heard things at certain unease with squirmed and boyfriend havethatcould not I a Jewish school grammar in learned I first Semitism and racism in the American South, and Susan Neiman has writ has Neiman Susan and South, American the in racism and Semitism The prejudice I was actively aware of, early on, was anti- was on, of, early aware actively Iwas prejudice The Why was it so hard to understand the racism around me? There was really really me? was There around racism the understand to it hard so was Why grade friend Sharon when a cross was burned on the lawn of her father’s lawn on the burned was when across Sharon friend grade 4 I alluded to it myself in an earlier essay here, discussing how here, discussing essay earlier an in it to myself Ialluded - - Learning from the Germans the from Learning in discussed 5. Neiman, 4. Bynum, “Curriculum Vitae,” 6. Neiman’s experience is is experience 6. Neiman’s Vitae,” “Curriculum Bynum, 3 The hope was that an old Black woman old Black woman an that hope was The Learning from the Germans the from Learning 5 I clung stubbornly to to stubbornly I clung Semitism, not anti- Semitism, . 1 –6. , - - - - on 09 August 2021 by PRINCETON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY user Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/common-knowledge/article-pdf/27/2/163/929576/163bynum.pdf tain gift shop to explain why the decay is encouraged. is decay why the shop explain to gift tain Stone Moun the in pamphlets photos and explicit over, with take gradually and grow could kudzu, farmers, of southern bane that which into cracks with surface the it scoring erode, but to allow to on Stone Mountain carving the not erase to cal conclusions.” cal histori his never influenced Confederates for the “Freeman’swork, admiration “great” of his says buried, is where Freeman Virginia, Richmond, in Cemetery indescribable.” of valor Even today, Hollywood website of the the unimpeachable, “men as of principle Jackson Stonewall and Lee described Freeman region. our for fighting forerunners of southern brave my story itheld was the up me to as but history; never study to me made determined and boring excruciatingly was winning, four- winning, Prize Freeman’s Pulitzer Southall read Douglas and corner told the sit to in not club me!) did want Iwas social wonder the (No for that. advanced ered too Freeman, 6. Freeman, approach some to anti- South American the Not only is a good work of art, because Roosevelt played acom played Roosevelt because ofart, work agood is it because explanation, with and museum the inside tion, reten for Iargue outside. not although retained, be should York New in History of Natural Museum the before stood once that Roosevelt ofTheodore statue the that example, for argue, Iwould mutilated. or destroyed be necessarily 9. at me length. with view inter the discussing for Harrison Anna and Doyno Mary 8. Douglas_Southall_Freeman. 7, 2020, 19:09, December en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ fied - modi last Freeman,” Southall s.v. “Douglas pedia, - Wiki 2, 2020). also See August (accessed freeman www.hollywoodcemetery.org/douglas- 7. explanation of the reasons for the removal affixed in placards. affixed removal for the reasons of the explanation some and there still names the with empty glaringly left be should monuments of such for. stood pedestals Perhaps they the evil forget the to it easy and is erased, is message their erased, are objects the enough. Once nearly is traders and owners of slave statues or drowning down melting even and barracks, army and bridges renaming generals, Confederate other and Lee to monuments removing that complicity. But Ido not think this with come to terms to beginning are States cated on the labor of the slave- of labor the on the cated predi also was North economy of the the said, has Stevenson Bryan slavery. As See Hollywood Cemetery, “Douglas Southall Freeman,” Freeman,” Southall “Douglas Cemetery, Hollywood See This is not to argue that images that can offend should should offend can that images that argue to not is This See Stevenson, “Interview by Ezra Klein.” I thank Ithank Klein.” Ezra by “Interview Stevenson, See I argued, in a piece published in this journal in 2004, that the German German the that 2004, in journal this in apiece published in I argued, come down. must statues me leads Confederate hold to that history My own R. E. Lee E. R. volume biography of Robert E. Lee. E. ofvolume biography Robert 7 . objects Semitic — southall- owning South. owning South the especially although — the approach of allowing them to stand stand to them approach of allowing the - - -

Body Is a Confederate Monument.” aConfederate Is Body My Monument? “You Want aConfederate Williams, and Revolution”; American the Finish “Let’s Egan, Georgia”; Shouldn’t TearShouldn’t “ Down”; Cohen, We Monuments Confederate “The Ackerman, editorials: York Times New several and of Evil,” “A Heritage Gorra, see cited, be could that much Among statues. in honored been it has as past Southern of the hideousness the reject 10. History.” of Natural Museum from Removed Be to Statue “Roosevelt Pogrebin, See tial. essen is glossing the But public. ofthe education the for glossing, with display, to object agood is statue the Thus, subordination. their not liberation, and dignity their express to misguidedly) (however intended were Roosevelt alongside Man African and American of Native figures the made, it was time at the because, and environment, the for support his including history, American in role plex 8 And historians of the United United of the historians And Thoughtful people have differed about exactly how to to how exactly about differed have people Thoughtful 6 10 All I remember is that it Iremember that is All 9 It might be better better It be might — profited from from profited

‘Let Freedom Ring’ from from Ring’ Freedom ‘Let – - - -

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II Ger rule; now is Black majority under for example, Africa, South change: regime seen have that places all are pasts their with way this in dealt have that places but self- self- German powerful with them but glossing easily as we have done in the 150 years since the Civil War. The Community War. 150 Community Civil the The we done have as in the since easily years forget it as we so cannot history, racist or remove, our not disassemble simply We past. need record, to the from of objects erasure, not the presence, need the past. ugly its with dealing at United States the job than done a better has Germany out that pointed have still. them fails and them, where failed when it and has recognizing by exactly ideals of a country’s of best memory,”honor to ambivalence the “the a determination 2018, in called, of for what Germany President Steinmeier argue to rather is It articulating. worth aspirations are aspirations Enlightenment realized fectly imper even courage; is courage Even partial us. before who came races of all of those courage the or renounce democracy of American ideals the or devalue that should we ignore argue is notto this To schools. unequal and regated affirm seg de facto still the and system, prison racist the police, the reforming by also but marches and demonstrations mounting by not only Matter” Lives “Black that we need recognize to And racism. continuing by injured individuals and ties communi the all to payments about reparation aconversation begin also should but we storytelling; and testimonies via reconciliation have to good would be people now. these for Yes, all action it need take to acountry weTherefore, as numbers. large here in still it are who suffered of those descendants ferent. The it. with deal to we not have begun and even enormous, is came here people first when white who lived of those treatment for our rience may be true. be may commission reconciliation” and a“truth is country this what we need in 15 Hence, both as a woman born in the South and as a historian, I argue that we we that Iargue ahistorian, as and South the in born awoman as Hence, both The situation with American guilt for slavery and its aftermath is a bit is dif aftermath its and for slavery guilt American with situation The . Holocaust for the accusations) 12 But I would point out that, as Bryan Stevenson has argued, the the argued, has Stevenson Bryan as But out I would point that, 11 Some have even used this observation to argue that that argue to observation this used even Some have - 13 Neiman, 15. Neiman, groups. feminist Jewish especially groups, ish of Jew work of the and Berlin in of synagogues accounts lively her for Margolis, Karen writer the friend, my 14. 13. The appropriate parallel between Germany Germany between appropriate parallel The — Stevenson, “Interview by Ezra Klein.” Ezra by “Interview Stevenson, Jews have begun to return to Germany, and I thank Ithank and Germany, to return to begun have Jews is better than erasure. And many people people many And erasure. than better is Learning from the Germans the from Learning accusations (not just explanations (not explanations just accusations 14 The guilt we expe should guilt The , 383. , — which which ------on 09 August 2021 by PRINCETON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY user Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/common-knowledge/article-pdf/27/2/163/929576/163bynum.pdf sites ing Initiative Justice Equal of the Project Remembrance - of immi victimization and suppression the about needed are arguments And cinema. Indians” and “cowboys in especially culture, wider the in and curricula school in with dealt are pioneers the and movement westward 17. 5, 2020). August (accessed memorial.eji.org/memorial museumand website, Initiative’s Justice Equal the on 16. what he did?” problem with the was adolescence: “What in Inever asked as color, ask, to impelled feel might of children and children they, white thus heritage; southern of the aspects many to arebuke but instead South Cause” of the “Lost the embodied O’Hara, Scarlett creation, whose author table for the picnic not see might a gigantic they kudzu, sprouting and crumbling Lee E. shoulder of up at aRobert the gazed Georgia in schoolchildren If eyes. our before reminders keeping by evil for such capacity our shared American future. American shared our in do to better we promise past, real our or ignoring never forgetting in that, positive something become can encounter citizens ordinary and study historians art and which owning human beings was vital. was beings human owning which to development system for economic our of an grieve and understand, confront, to fail should no American it And possible. made culture southern or the eracy Confed of the praise hear should background of any of America United States the in child so no Christ, of crucifixion for the blamed are Jews which in a liturgy hear ever should child or Christian no Jewish as Just sites. at deportation installed who perpetrated those to accusations as slowly eroding, stand, monuments similar and carving Stone Mountain the them pursued mobs when white entrance where Black people were doorsteps refused drowned; were where they rivers and where Black men were hanged on trees nooses raped; where Black women were systematically alike, houses plantation gorgeous and cabins slave cattle; were sold like beings where human blocks Auction marked. be also of must horror places South; the glorify that objects removeto racist or gloss It not is enough documented. be also must guilt own their with deal to munities of com 1950s; of the long Crow, Jim segregation refusal the the and struction,

See “The National Memorial for Peace and Justice” Justice” and Peace for Memorial National “The See Similar arguments should be made about how the the how about made be should arguments Similar We must do more than erase monuments to past evil. We must learn from We from learn must evil. past to monuments erase We do more must than — — not just tools of education, repair, and reconciliation, but also pledges pledges but also reconciliation, and repair, of education, tools not just is one such endeavor. oneis such — all these places need to have plaques like those the Germans have have Germans the those like plaques need have to places these all 18 In this way, the objects from the past that historians historians that past the from way, objects the this In 16 I think we need many more. Not only should more. should Not we need many only Ithink — 17 glorified indeed,

here ofthat any do to space have not Ido well. as groups grant 18. necessary. are apologies and ciliations, recon ofreparations, sorts different and differ, moment present at the guilt feel should we whom toward peoples www.encyclopediavirginia.org/lost_cause_the. dia Virginia

On southern “Lost Cause” ideology, see the Encyclope the see ideology, Cause” “Lost southern On — — and, as I have pointed out above, the situations of of situations the above, out pointed Ihave as and,

to collect dirt from lynch from dirt collect to , s.v. “Lost Cause,” last modified July 27,July 2016, modified last Cause,” , s.v. “Lost — the evils of Recon evils the ------Bynum • Growing Up in the Shadow of Confederate Monuments 169 on 09 August 2021 by PRINCETON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY user Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/common-knowledge/article-pdf/27/2/163/929576/163bynum.pdf

COMMON KNOWLEDGE 170 ——— Aside.” Common Authorial An Vitae: Walker. “Curriculum Caroline Bynum, Ackerman, Elliot. “The Confederate Monuments We Monuments Shouldn’t Tear Confederate “The Down.” New Elliot. Ackerman, References Cohen, Roger.Cohen, “ New York Time Revolution.” New American the Finish “Let’s Timothy. Egan, R. E. Lee: A Biography Lee: E. R. Southall. Douglas Freeman, museumand Justice.” Peace for and Memorial National “The Initiative. Justice Equal Mines Whitehead the “Tales Josef. from Patek, Evil of the Memory and Race the Germans: from Learning Susan. Neiman, New York “A of Review Evil.” New Michael. Heritage Gorra, Morris, Wesley. “The Reconciliation Must Be Televised.” Be Must York Times New Wesley. Reconciliation Morris, “The Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New the New in Forgiveness of the Limits and Sorrow, Guilt, My Skull: of Country Antjie. Krog, Pogrebin, Robin. “Roosevelt Statue to Be Removed from Museum of Natural of Natural Museum from Removed Be to Statue “Roosevelt Robin. Pogrebin, Rushmore.” Mount Became Rushmore Mount “How Fortin. Jacey and Bryan, Pietsch, Stevenson, Bryan. “Interview by Ezra Klein: Bryan Stevenson on How America Can Can How on America Stevenson Bryan Klein: Ezra by “Interview Bryan. Stevenson, Williams, Caroline Randall. “You Want a Confederate Monument? My Body Is a Is My Body “You Monument? Want aConfederate Randall. Caroline Williams, Knowledg Common Knowledge - Times York www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/opinion/let- memorial.eji.org/memorial (accessed January 7, 2021). January (accessed memorial.eji.org/memorial www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/opinion/fourth- 2020. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2019. Giroux, and Straus, Farrar, 00 www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/arts/television/the- 2020. 1934 –35. Whitehead at Harvard, 1924 Harvard, at Whitehead In Edition.” Critical the of Editing Challenges the www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/11/07/heritage- edited by Brian G. Henning and Josef Patek, 10 Patek, Josef and Henning G. Brian by edited Afric South History.” History.” .html. York Time New 2020. Press, University =RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article. /the- Heal.” /design/roosevelt- /06/26/opinion/confederate- York Times New Monument.” Confederate graves-

. “The Presence of Objects: Medieval Anti- Medieval of Objects: Presence . “The ezra- 19, July 2020. (podcast), www.stitcher.com/podcast/vox Show Klein Ezra arlington- e 9, no. 1(2003): 1 New York Times New klein- 7,, July 2020. www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/opinion/confederate a. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2000. 2000. Press, Rivers York: New a. Three New York Time New Georgia.” from Freedom Ring’ ‘Let s, July 1, July 2020.s, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/us/mount- show/e/76293210?refid=asa&autoplay=true. statue- cemetery.html. 10, no. 1(2004): 1 to- , June 21,, June 2020. www.nytimes.com/2020/06/21/arts – be- monuments- 12. removed- – 32. museum- from- racism.html?action=click&module 26,, June 2020. www.nytimes.com/2020 freedom- — On Whitehead, His Students, and and Students, His Whitehead, On . 4 vols. New York: Scribner’s Sons, York: New . 4vols. Sons, Scribner’s Judaism in Modern Germany.” Germany.” Modern in Judaism – of- 12. Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh Edinburgh UK: 12. Edinburgh, , November 7,, November 2019, 10 evil/. ring- of- of- july.html. moment- from- natural- georgia.html. s, June 26, June 2020.s, racism- history.html. . New York:. New s, July 3, July s, , July 30,, July rushmore tv.html. – 13.

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