Struggle with History

Removed them all together.

Abc 36s alex king spoke with a u-k professor about the importance of understanding the history behind the monuments.

L3: abc 36 news white a struggle with history l3: abc 36 news white amy murrell taylor professor of history, university of kentucky ..

L3: abc 36 news white a struggle with history amy murrell taylor: i teach american history.

Particularly in the 19th century so the civil war, slavery reconstruction, are subjects of a number of my courses that i teach so i really delve into a lot of this difficult history that were talking about today.

On monday jalen lee posted this video on his facebook page.

Showing confrontation between him and a woman.

Over the removal of a confederate statue in anderson county.

It's an example of the heated debate across the nation.

Many of the statues were erected in the late 19th and early 20th century during an effort known as the "lost cause".

Amy murrell taylor: this was a movement led by descendants of confederates.

Led in particular by an organization called the united daughters of the confederacy who were determined to pull out what you might say was a victory for white southern culture out of what had been a military defeat.

Taylor says.

The monuments were meant to express pride in their confederate heritage.

Amy murrell taylor: but its important to note that they were put up at a time when the same white southern people were also erecting segregation laws, were taking the vote away from african american people or later in the 20th century were resisting the civil rights movement.

She says.

This "lost cause" movement.

Was very much a part of the jim crow south and it was really doing the cultural work of protecting and preserving white supremacy.

It's that very legacy that has sparked the current debates for those who want the statues removed.

Alex king, abc 36 news.