Posted on Dec 27, 2021
Racial reckoning turns focus to roadside historical markers
504
9
3
6
6
0
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/27/ [login to see] /racial-reckoning-turns-focus-to-roadside-historical-markers
Pennsylvania had been installing historical markers for more than a century when the racist violence in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017 brought a fresh round of questions from the public about just whose stories were being told on the state's roadsides — and the language used to tell them.
The increased scrutiny helped prompt a review of all 2,500 markers by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, a process that has focused on factual errors, inadequate historical context, and racist or otherwise inappropriate references.
So far, the state has removed two markers, revised two and ordered new text for two others.
Pennsylvania had been installing historical markers for more than a century when the racist violence in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017 brought a fresh round of questions from the public about just whose stories were being told on the state's roadsides — and the language used to tell them.
The increased scrutiny helped prompt a review of all 2,500 markers by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, a process that has focused on factual errors, inadequate historical context, and racist or otherwise inappropriate references.
So far, the state has removed two markers, revised two and ordered new text for two others.
Racial reckoning turns focus to roadside historical markers
Posted from npr.org
American History
State of Pennsylvania
Racism
Slavery
Civil War
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
2
2
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Across the country, historical markers have in some places become another front in the national reckoning over slavery, segregation and racial violence that has also brought down Civil War statues and changed or reconsidered the names of institutions, roads and geographical features.
The idea that "who is honored, what is remembered, what is memorialized tells a story about a society that can't be reflected in other ways" is behind an effort by the Birmingham, Alabama-based Equal Justice Initiative that has installed dozens of markers, mostly in the South, to remember racial terror lynchings.
Historical markers educate the public and therefore can help fight systemic racism, said Diane Turner, curator of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University in Philadelphia, one of the country's largest repositories of Black history literature and related material.
"By being able to tell everybody's story, it's good for the society as a whole. It's not to take away from anybody else," Turner said. "Let's have these stories, because the more truth we have, the better it is."...
..."Across the country, historical markers have in some places become another front in the national reckoning over slavery, segregation and racial violence that has also brought down Civil War statues and changed or reconsidered the names of institutions, roads and geographical features.
The idea that "who is honored, what is remembered, what is memorialized tells a story about a society that can't be reflected in other ways" is behind an effort by the Birmingham, Alabama-based Equal Justice Initiative that has installed dozens of markers, mostly in the South, to remember racial terror lynchings.
Historical markers educate the public and therefore can help fight systemic racism, said Diane Turner, curator of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University in Philadelphia, one of the country's largest repositories of Black history literature and related material.
"By being able to tell everybody's story, it's good for the society as a whole. It's not to take away from anybody else," Turner said. "Let's have these stories, because the more truth we have, the better it is."...
(2)
(0)
CPO Arthur Weinberger
In the future all humans will be required to wear black and white uniforms. All vehicles will be black and white, home furnishings and art also. This will occur so as to not offend anyone. These items will have no markings, labels or insignia. All items not black and white will be removed from the public. Museums will no longer have, pictures or words mentioning other colors as they will be burned. Libraries, schools, factories and the remainder of our planet will have these items destroyed.This will be for the good of mankind as humans will hopefully no longer be offended.
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google