The Return of a Confederate Monument (sort of)

So the most interesting thing happened in my neighborhood. You might recall that the Confederate Monument in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery came down back in 2017. Well, its back - sort of, anyway. Five years ago, the cemetery staff, in conjunction with the United Daughters of the Confederacy, saw fit to remove the monument to be “stowed away in storage indefinitely” in the wake of the so-called “Unite the Right” rally, where white nationalists gathered in support of a monument to Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville on August 12 of that year - a rally that resulted in numerous injuries and one death. Since then, Confederate monuments across the nation have come down, most notably those in Richmond, Virginia. This is a long story that covers an enormous amount of ground - Kevin Levin has complied a list of resources for those who wish to better inform themselves on the very old controversy intersecting with white supremacy, state rights, and various iterations of “heritage” arguments.

When I first began discussing Confederate monuments and other iconography that appeared in the West, both online and in my classroom, many were surprised that this was a thing - but yes indeed - the Confederacy has a presence in the West, for all sorts of reasons, as myself and others have noted.

OG monument c. 2017

For decades, the original monument stood over the graves of a couple dozen Confederate veterans and UDC members - an approximately 8-foot high stone adorned with a plaque reading: “In Memory of the Soldiers of the Confederate States Army Who Have Died or May Die on The Pacific Coast.” In addition, the plague featured three Confederate flags - two national flags and an Army of Northern Virginia battle flag.

Now that its back - sans plaque - what does this mean for the conversation? Does it still count? I mean, it’s currently just a big rock with a cut-out where a plaque used to be…still standing above the graves but not offering anything about them, a “silent sentinel” in the truest sense…I suppose.

The return brings up another question too - are all Confederate monuments created equal? Is there a difference between monuments in cemeteries and those in public places? Maybe there is. I mean, most cemeteries are private - in 1925 the UDC paid to place the monument there, and it is maintained by a private institution. Sure, one might find the message problematic or even offensive but what is expressed on private property is exactly that - private.

Public Confederate monuments are a different thing altogether - most went up through state or municipal legislation during the Jim Crow era, when the majority of black people had limited, if any access to the legislative process…and these public monuments (those that are left) are maintained with public funds. Does it not stand to reason that if the public now wants them to go, and they vote accordingly, then they should go? If a legislative body can pass laws to erect something in a public place, then they can certainly pass them to take that same something down. But of course, that’s up to the people…right?

Anyway, this is just food for thought - I am happy to discuss with any reasonable person (in other words, I am not interested in a shouting match with any ideologues regardless of partisan affiliation).

What do you think?

With compliments,

Keith