Memory in Black and White

In this book, Paul Shackel accurately observes, 'Public memory is more a reflection of present political and social relations than a true reconstruction of the past.' Arguments over history today reflect deeply felt emotions about who we are as a society,who we have been, and where we think we should be headed. In an effort to parse out the inherent conflicts that have arisen over the remembering of history, Professor Paul Shackel focuses on the all important issue of race, and reminds us how race and racism have affected and continue to affect the popular presentation of the past and especially of the American Civil War. Memory in Black and White serves as a strong reminder of how ideas about race have influenced the preservation of places in the past and how it can affect, in both positive and negative ways, the interpretation of historic sites today. It is an important message for all of us who visit historic places, who are curious about the presentation of the past at historic sites and monuments, and who study the past/present dynamic in classrooms and public spaces. The case study approach taken here allows a detailed look at specific places where race and perceptions of race played a role in preserving and interpreting the past. By under -- Dwight T. Pitcaithley, Chief Historian, National Park Service * From The Foreword *
Shackel presents four case studies of commemorative Civil War sites and delivers powerful analyses of the social, political, regional and, above all, racst ideologies that generated and have sustained them... readers should embrace this book as an important step in understanding American politicized memory. -- J. B. Wolford, Missouri Historical Society * CHOICE *
One of America's most gifted historical archaeologists provides a masterful examination of the relationship between race and national commemoration. Shackel's insightful analysis of four case studies deftly illustrates the unequal way in which history and memory can be created, and brilliantly shows the way in which various constituencies can seek to control the way history is remembered. This important book demands a prominent place on the bookshelves of archaeologists, historians, site managers, museum specialists, and everyone concerned with the way in which history is presented. -- Charles E. Orser Jr., Vanderbilt University
Shackel brings together history, anthropology, and archaeology in this must-read book that addresses a grievous wrong in the interpretation of the Civil War era. -- Richard Sauers * Civil War News *
Valuable reading. . . to provoke challenging conceptual questions, as any good book should. * Journal of American Ethnic History *
In this book, Paul Shackel accurately observes, 'Public memory is more a reflection of present political and social relations than a true reconstruction of the past.' Arguments over history today reflect deeply felt emotions about who we are as a society, who we have been, and where we think we should be headed. In an effort to parse out the inherent conflicts that have arisen over the remembering of history, Professor Paul Shackel focuses on the all important issue of race, and reminds us how race and racism have affected and continue to affect the popular presentation of the past and especially of the American Civil War. Memory in Black and White serves as a strong reminder of how ideas about race have influenced the preservation of places in the past and how it can affect, in both positive and negative ways, the interpretation of historic sites today. It is an important message for all of us who visit historic places, who are curious about the presentation of the past at historic sites and monuments, and who study the past/present dynamic in classrooms and public spaces. The case study approach taken here allows a detailed look at specific places where race and perceptions of race played a role in preserving and interpreting the past. By understanding how past and present generations have interpreted the past through the lens of race, practitioners of public history can better determine how historic sites should be interpreted to present and future generations. -- Dwight T. Pitcaithley, Chief Historian, National Park Service * From The Foreword *
Shackel has identified a promising niche from which to contribute to this literature... -- Thomas J. Brown, University of South Carolina * The Public Historian, Spring 2004, Vol.26, Number 2 *
Shackel has written a conscientious book that deserves sustained engagement from students of American history and education. -- Lester P. Lee Jr., Northeastern University * Civil War History *
Paul A. Shackel's thoughtful new volume adds to the discourse on collective memory by offering a quartet of provocative case studies on the role of race in the creation of four sites interpreted by the National Park Service. -- Thomas Andrew Denenberg * Journal of American History *
. . . will prove useful to beginning students in the field of public history. * North Carolina Historical Review *