Kate Drabinski, lecturer of gender and women’s studies, was a guest on WYPR’s Maryland Morning on July 10 to discuss how slavery and the Civil War is represented in public spaces in Maryland. Drabinski was joined by Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead ’09, Ph.D. LLC, an assistant professor in the department of communication at Loyola University-Maryland.
The discussion helped listeners think about how the history of slavery is conveyed in Maryland memorials and parks as Gov. Larry Hogan has decided to stop issuing license plates with the Confederate symbol and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is appointing a task force to review the city’s Confederate monuments and other historical sites.
The conversation covered a wide range of issues, including thinking about symbols of the Civil War in the context of present day America. “We are long past slavery, but we are still working through the issues of the relationship between freedom and slavery, between white Americans and black Americans, and these different periods of history. We’re still fighting over the meaning of the war,” Drabinski said.
To listen to the complete discussion, click here.
