SYNOPSIS:

The Confederacy ended in 1865, but it never really died. The iconography of the slavers’ secessionist rebellion has returned again and again through the succeeding 160 years, particularly in times of backlash against progress toward racial equality. This week we look at recent moves by the Trump administration, along with a Texas school board, to once again pay tribute to the Confederacy’s leaders and its so-called Lost Cause. The conversation this week is with Dom Kelly, president and CEO of a nonprofit called New Disabled South, which works for equality and access for people with disabilities across the region. Dom is a fascinating guy with a background in advocacy, music, and politics, and he has a lot of smart things to say about the barriers that remain throughout society — and especially throughout the South. And in the arts and culture segment, we preview a new exhibition in Charleston, S.C., by the Iranian-born and Southern-based artist Raheleh Filsoofi.

SHOW NOTES:

“Whose Heritage?” Southern Poverty Law Center

"The Army is moving quickly to bring back the original names of bases named for Confederates” WUNC

“Confederate statues in DC area to be restored and replaced in line with Trump’s executive order” Associated Press

“Confederate Memorial (Arlington National Cemetery)” Wikipedia

“The History of the Confederate Section at Arlington National Cemetery Was Never Erased” Kevin M. Levin

“Midland school board votes to restore school name honoring Confederate general” Texas Tribune

New Disabled South

Ep. 4: A Second Southern Redemption The Progessive South (YouTube)

“At the Edge of Arrival” Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764