"Arguing with History: Memory, Monuments, and Making Sense of the Past in an Era of Fake News"

Across the country, citizens are engaged in fierce debates about what to do with Confederate-era monuments. The debates were heightened in mid-August, when Heather Heyer was killed in Charlottesville, Virginia, during a rally to protest white supremacists.  Some see the monuments as markers of history; others as symbols of hate and racism.  To date, momuments have been removed across the country—from Brooklyn to San Diego, and mayors and legislators are considering the removal of scores of others.  [See, for example: New York Times, August 28]

The debate will continue at Notre Dame during a conversation with historians Ciaran Brady (Trinity College Dublin; Naughton Visiting Fellow) and Peter Onuf (Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor emeritus, University of Virginia), moderated by Patrick Griffin, Madden-Hennebry Professor of History, University of Notre Dame.