Citation

Holyfield L, Beacham C. J. Black Stud. 2011; 42(3): 436-456.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0021934710378746

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article examines the commemoration of the American Civil War via the symbolic structure of "fragmented" and "multivocal" commemorative sites. Through observation, thick description, and interviews, this work examines the contested commemoration of the American Civil War with regard to race, slavery, and collective sentiment. The role of memory brokers in the commemoration process, both past and present, is identified, placing the commemoration of the American Civil War within a shame-centered framework. Illustrations of the symbolic structure of the sites and ideological struggles to recognize the role of slavery as a cause for war, as well as the role of Black soldiers in the war’s outcome, may add to our understanding of U.S. race relations, both past and present.