An echo essay about historical monuments from Georgia
Nedra Rhone, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In 2014, the Georgia Historical Society (GHS) introduced the Civil Rights Trail and the Business History Initiative, both designed to bring a broader range of narratives to historical markers in the Georgia.
In 2014, the Georgia Historical Society (GHS) introduced the Civil Rights Trail and the Business History Initiative, both designed to bring a broader range of narratives to historical markers in the Georgia.
Several years ago, Wesley Edwards and several residents of LaGrange Georgia, sat in a small conference room at the police station.
They had gathered during the holiday season to discuss a crime so horrific, that Edwards struggled to accept if had ever happened in the town where he grew up.
That Austin Callaway, a black man, had been lynched and left by the side of the road in 1940 had never been in question, but as they sat in the room debating how to tell Callaway’s story on a historical marker — the succinctly written public memorials spread across the American landscape — emotions were running high.
“Part of the emotional response to violence is to push it away. We had to not edit out the truth of the violence,” said Edwards, who is white. They debated over words. They held the local police chief to the fire, asking if he planned to apologize for the lynching.
It was a heavy subject that meant a lot to people in the community, and they all knew they needed to get it right. “You are writing by committee, you have a very tight word count and you are writing about a very difficult thing. It was stressful,” Edwards said.
Easily recognized by their shape and distinctive lettering, historical markers seem simple enough. Those who stop to read the stories describing people and events of the past may not consider how those stories get written.
As many Americans continue to challenge traditional views of history, historical markers have assumed a prominent role in the nation’s culture wars, and ideas about who should be writing them seem to be changing.
“There is a new excitement surrounding these things,” said David Mitchell, director of operations for the Atlanta Preservation Center. “People are reading them and approving and disapproving of what the text says. I doubt anyone thought that in 2018 they would be under the scrutiny they are now.”
A more inclusive process
Cities and states nationwide are re-examining their approach to creating historical markers by focusing on underrepresented stories.
The Georgia Historical Society, which oversees the official state marker program, introduced several special initiatives to develop markers that offer more inclusive views of state history.
Last month, city officials in Atlanta shared plans to use a form of historical markers to bring deeper understanding to Confederate monuments instead of removing them, which would violate state law.
Depending on the subject, the process of writing these markers can take many months, require multiple drafts and involve a consortium of people weighing in on the words being used. The group that worked on the marker dedicated to Callaway’s story was multiage and multiracial, comprised of the community group that Edwards co-chairs, the mayor, the pastor of the church where the marker was placed, the Equal Justice Initiative — an organization that has its own historical marker program to highlight lynchings in America, distant relatives of Callaway, the head of the local NAACP, and the police chief among others.
A historical marker discussing the history of lynchings and naming victims with ties to Troup County was unveiled in LaGrange in March 2017. KENT D. JOHNSON / AJC FILE PHOTO
The complex task of writing history
As more voices weigh in on historical markers, every word is under extra scrutiny
“Part of the emotional response to violence is to push it away. We had to not edit out the truth of the violence,” said Edwards, who is white. They debated over words. Moreover, they held the local police chief to the fire, asking if he planned to apologize for the lynching. It was a heavy subject that meant a lot to people in the community, and they all knew they needed to get it right. “You are writing by committee, you have a very tight word count and you are writing about a very difficult thing. It was stressful,” Edwards said.
Easily recognized by their shape and distinctive lettering, historical markers seem simple enough. Those who stop to read the stories describing people and events of the past may not consider how those stories get written. As many Americans continue to challenge traditional views of history, historical markers have assumed a prominent role in the nation’s culture wars, and ideas about who should be writing them seem to be changing.
“There is a new excitement surrounding these things,” said David Mitchell, director of operations for the Atlanta Preservation Center. “People are reading them and approving and disapproving of what the text says. I doubt anyone thought that in 2018 they would be under the scrutiny they are now.”
Easily recognized by their shape and distinctive lettering, historical markers seem simple enough. Those who stop to read the stories describing people and events of the past may not consider how those stories get written.
As many Americans continue to challenge traditional views of history, historical markers have assumed a prominent role in the nation’s culture wars, and ideas about who should be writing them seem to be changing.
“There is a new excitement surrounding these things,” said David Mitchell, director of operations for the Atlanta Preservation Center. “People are reading them and approving and disapproving of what the text says. I doubt anyone thought that in 2018 they would be under the scrutiny they are now.”
A more inclusive process
Cities and states nationwide are re-examining their approach to creating historical markers by focusing on underrepresented stories.
The Georgia Historical Society, which oversees the official state marker program, introduced several special initiatives to develop markers that offer more inclusive views of state history.
Last month, city officials in Atlanta shared plans to use a form of historical markers to bring deeper understanding to Confederate monuments instead of removing them, which would violate state law.
Depending on the subject, the process of writing these markers can take many months, require multiple drafts and involve a consortium of people weighing in on the words being used. The group that worked on the marker dedicated to Callaway’s story was multiage and multiracial, comprised of the community group that Edwards co-chairs, the mayor, the pastor of the church where the marker was placed, the Equal Justice Initiative — an organization that has its own historical marker program to highlight lynchings in America, distant relatives of Callaway, the head of the local NAACP, and the police chief among others.
A historical marker discussing the history of lynchings and naming victims with ties to Troup County was unveiled in LaGrange in March 2017. KENT D. JOHNSON / AJC FILE PHOTO
The complex task of writing history
As more voices weigh in on historical markers, every word is under extra scrutiny
“Part of the emotional response to violence is to push it away. We had to not edit out the truth of the violence,” said Edwards, who is white. They debated over words. Moreover, they held the local police chief to the fire, asking if he planned to apologize for the lynching. It was a heavy subject that meant a lot to people in the community, and they all knew they needed to get it right. “You are writing by committee, you have a very tight word count and you are writing about a very difficult thing. It was stressful,” Edwards said.
Easily recognized by their shape and distinctive lettering, historical markers seem simple enough. Those who stop to read the stories describing people and events of the past may not consider how those stories get written. As many Americans continue to challenge traditional views of history, historical markers have assumed a prominent role in the nation’s culture wars, and ideas about who should be writing them seem to be changing.
“There is a new excitement surrounding these things,” said David Mitchell, director of operations for the Atlanta Preservation Center. “People are reading them and approving and disapproving of what the text says. I doubt anyone thought that in 2018 they would be under the scrutiny they are now.”
A more inclusive process
Cities and states nationwide are re-examining their approach to creating historical markers by focusing on underrepresented stories. The Georgia Historical Society, which oversees the official state marker program, introduced several special initiatives to develop markers that offer more inclusive views of state history.
Last month, city officials in Atlanta shared plans to use a form of historical markers to bring deeper understanding to Confederate monuments instead of removing them, which would violate state law.
Depending on the subject, the process of writing these markers can take many months, require multiple drafts and involve a consortium of people weighing in on the words being used. The group that worked on the marker dedicated to Callaway’s story was multiage and multiracial, comprised of the community group that Edwards co-chairs, the mayor, the pastor of the church where the marker was placed, the Equal Justice Initiative — an organization that has its own historical marker program to highlight lynchings in America, distant relatives of Callaway, the head of the local NAACP, and the police chief among others.
In March 2017, Mike Merideth (from left), Michael Bowen, Bobbie Hart and Wesley Edwards talk near the site where Austin Callaway, a black man who had been lynched, was found on a rural country road in 1940. Much work went into telling Callaway’s story on a historical marker. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Edwards recalls that not a single word they used on the marker to describe the lynching and the subsequent apology from town officials was taken lightly.
Depending on the subject, the process of writing these markers can take many months, require multiple drafts and involve a consortium of people weighing in on the words being used. The group that worked on the marker dedicated to Callaway’s story was multiage and multiracial, comprised of the community group that Edwards co-chairs, the mayor, the pastor of the church where the marker was placed, the Equal Justice Initiative — an organization that has its own historical marker program to highlight lynchings in America, distant relatives of Callaway, the head of the local NAACP, and the police chief among others.
In March 2017, Mike Merideth (from left), Michael Bowen, Bobbie Hart and Wesley Edwards talk near the site where Austin Callaway, a black man who had been lynched, was found on a rural country road in 1940. Much work went into telling Callaway’s story on a historical marker. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Edwards recalls that not a single word they used on the marker to describe the lynching and the subsequent apology from town officials was taken lightly.
Only in recent years have historical markers begun to embrace a range of narratives, said Kevin Levin, a Civil War historian based in Boston. “We now have people taking part in this process who never were able to lay claim to a historic site. Who gets to tell those stories is a huge responsibility, and I think we are now in a place where we are more willing to have those conversations,” he said.
A surge in interest
Historical markers first began appearing in Georgia in the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration, said Mitchell. In the early 1950s, the state launched a formal marker program in large part focused on the 100th anniversary of the Civil War. These would become the most recognized style of historical markers — the square-shaped aluminum signs mounted on posts with an average of 120-150 words of text. Most of the early markers placed by the state were singularly focused on traditional Civil War narratives surrounding troop movement, battles and top military leaders. At the time, they were a draw for tourists.
In 1998, the Georgia Historical Society (GHS) took responsibility for erecting new markers while the state maintained about 2,000 existing markers. Georgia Historical Society erected about 250 new markers since taking over the program.
In recent years, projects have included markers created for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War that were designed to fill gaps in the traditional narrative. In 2014, GHS introduced a special initiative to install Civil Rights Trail markers and markers dedicated to Georgia-based businesses. The following year, they also took over maintenance of all markers in the state. From 2014 to the present, 19 markers detailing moments in the civil rights movement — the first of which documented the Atlanta Student Movement — were erected to join more than 20 older markers that explored the fight for civil and human rights.
Labels: Georgia Historical Society, GHS, Nedra Rhone, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Wesley
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