“Confederates in the Attic” Author On The Confederate Flag Debate
The South has been grappling with what to do about Confederate symbols since a gunman shot 9 people at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, last month. Tony Horwitz, a bestselling author and journalist, spoke with WBHM’s Will Dahlberg about Confederate imagery, memorabilia and monuments, and whether the United States should collectively push these pieces of history aside.
Horwitz is probably most known for his book Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War. He also recently published Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War, in 2011. The book ties into themes of history, memory and the controversy surrounding them.
Listen to an extended version of this interview here:
History and Heritage
In the deep south, many have remaining ties with their Confederate roots. Horwitz says while there are heritage groups that push the envelope with political agendas and racial overtones, it’s important to remember that some southerners just want to remember their ancestors.
“I think we have to be careful to not paint everyone who’s interested in Confederate heritage with the same brush,” he says, “And I think perhaps there’s some of that going on in the media at the moment.”
However, Horwitz also says it isn’t always easy to separate ancestry from politics.
“No one wants to spit on their ancestors,” he says, “On the other hand, we need to find a way to remember them that doesn’t glorify the cause for which they fought.”
Memorializing the Flags and Monuments
As confederate flags come down across the South, some state officials are asking whether municipalities should move Confederate monuments out of the public realm.
Horwitz says the argument is about the perception of not what these symbols represented in the past, but what they represent now.
“The argument now is that this really shouldn’t be in the public square,” he says, “in a context in which it’s saying,’This represents all of us in our state.'”
However, Horwitz says the decisions about monuments are trickier.
“It’s easy to take down a flag,” he says, “It’s a little harder to start moving statues.”
Relocation or Removal
Much still remains to be discussed, however, about whether states should get rid of flags and monuments altogether, or just move them to new locations.
Horwitz says his only worry is that in efforts to move forward, people will erase integral parts of America’s history. He says he hopes the monuments stay where they are, but that officials add plaques to contextualize them.
“I think they can be teaching tools,” he says, “personally I’d prefer to see most of these monuments stay where they are, but that’s obviously for the people of these communities to decide for themselves.”
4 takeaways from Erin Patterson’s testimony at her toxic mushroom triple murder trial
Patterson is accused of putting death cap mushrooms in a meal she served her estranged husband's relatives in July 2023, killing three. She took the stand in Week 6 of the trial gripping Australia.
Torture and treason trials: what’s happening in Tanzania?
Tanzania's government is facing growing accusations of repression after prominent human rights defenders say they were beaten and sexually assaulted while in custody.
International students in the U.S.: Who they are, where they’re from
The Trump administration continues to target foreign nationals looking to attend U.S. universities. Here's a closer look at who these students are, where they come from and what they study.
‘You barely see people out’: How immigration raids are reshaping daily life in Puerto Rico’s Dominican enclave
Puerto Rico's Dominican immigrant community is on edge following a series of immigration raids, which started in January. People have stopped going to work, sending kids to school, or attending medical appointments. What was once a lively barrio is now mostly quiet in the wake of the crackdown.
A baklava crawl in the Turkish city that’s obsessed with the pastry
Here's how the Turkish city of Gaziantep became synonymous with baklava, the sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough, filled with nuts and soaked in syrup or honey.
WorldPride caps off its first D.C. celebration with a weekend parade
The global LGBTQ+ festival was held for the first time in the nation's capital. Organizers say the current political environment has dampened the excitement surrounding the celebration.