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A review by lpar17
Down Along with That Devil's Bones: A Reckoning with Monuments, Memory, and the Legacy of White Supremacy by Connor Towne O'Neill
4.0
A clear eyed and journalistic account of Pennsylvania transplant O'Neill's research into the southern cult of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first grand wizard of the KKK. Although he delves into the life and lionization of Forrest over the years, this book is more a rumination on how racist structures and symbols persist in the present day. O'Neill examines how collective memory, memorialization, and the enactment of history in public spaces like streets, college campuses, and national parks serve to reinforce deeply held Southern mythologies (like the Lost Cause or Southern redemption) while also violently rejecting any historical narratives that seem to run counter to these personal beliefs. Why there so many monuments to and places named for Forrest across the South when his racism was well documented? How can some southerners continue to insist that Confederate symbols are innocent of their racist historical contexts and should be venerated as unproblematic artifacts of Southern culture and history? How do such attitudes continue to terrorize and oppress black American, underlining the racial disparities that persist to the present day?
I'm writing this review in the midst of demonstrations regarding the horrific extrajudicial killing of George Floyd by law enforcement, a senseless tragedy that is not an anomaly but the norm for the black community. This book is a timely and important contribution to the national discussion that is taking place regarding race relations in America, a conversation that has taken place too many times before with little progress. Let us hope this time sees some lasting change and reform. I definitely recommend keeping an eye out for "Down Along with That Devil's Bones" when it comes out in October, and also for Edward Ball's "Life of a Klansman" (due out August). Many thanks to Algonquin and Goodreads for the giveaway that provided me with an ARC of this book
I'm writing this review in the midst of demonstrations regarding the horrific extrajudicial killing of George Floyd by law enforcement, a senseless tragedy that is not an anomaly but the norm for the black community. This book is a timely and important contribution to the national discussion that is taking place regarding race relations in America, a conversation that has taken place too many times before with little progress. Let us hope this time sees some lasting change and reform. I definitely recommend keeping an eye out for "Down Along with That Devil's Bones" when it comes out in October, and also for Edward Ball's "Life of a Klansman" (due out August). Many thanks to Algonquin and Goodreads for the giveaway that provided me with an ARC of this book