Historian on CNN Endorses Topping Statues: ‘History Is as Much About Forgetting as Remembering’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT So let ░░░░░░░░ talk about what took ░░░░░░░░ in Baltimore first which ░░░░░░░░ perhaps is a microcosm ░░░░░░░░ what we have seen ░░░░░░░░ the country Of course ░░░░░░░░ have been protests and ░░░░░░░░ taking down of many ░░░░░░░░ monuments but this monument ░░░░░░░░ it represents and for ░░░░░░░░ long many Americans have ░░░░░░░░ their patience has been ░░░░░░░░ thin on Christopher Columbus ░░░░░░░░ what he symbolizes in ░░░░░░░░ of discovering a land ░░░░░░░░ was already inhabited by ░░░░░░░░ Americans So help people ░░░░░░░░ what unfolded there in ░░░░░░░░ I think people aren ░░░░░░░░ merely upset with Columbus ░░░░░░░░ historical figure They re ░░░░░░░░ waging wars on the ░░░░░░░░ he is lionized despite ░░░░░░░░ historians illuminated and other ░░░░░░░░ of this I think ░░░░░░░░ have been there s ░░░░░░░░ a lot of historical ░░░░░░░░ over the last several ░░░░░░░░ and when we know ░░░░░░░░ about the Columbus history ░░░░░░░░ the kind of mythological ░░░░░░░░ we have heard historically ░░░░░░░░ on and people the ░░░░░░░░ of Christopher Columbus to ░░░░░░░░ complicated that reflects the ░░░░░░░░ record and we have ░░░░░░░░ by the way examples ░░░░░░░░ this Right Think of ░░░░░░░░ they have done for ░░░░░░░░ with Thomas Jefferson and ░░░░░░░░ What they have done ░░░░░░░░ dove headlong through the ░░░░░░░░ of the American experiment ░░░░░░░░ now I think what ░░░░░░░░ are seeing is that ░░░░░░░░ attempts to grapple with ░░░░░░░░ figures The quote unquote ░░░░░░░░ of the new world ░░░░░░░░ December mags of Native ░░░░░░░░ and people already there ░░░░░░░░ I think people want ░░░░░░░░ hear a better story ░░░░░░░░ tired of the way ░░░░░░░░ the histories have been ░░░░░░░░ WHITFIELD When we talk ░░░░░░░░ this while you re ░░░░░░░░ seeing a number of ░░░░░░░░ confederate memorials that are ░░░░░░░░ taken down or cities ░░░░░░░░ elected to take them ░░░░░░░░ you know you have ░░░░░░░░ so prelivically about how ░░░░░░░░ The South lost the ░░░░░░░░ it still won in ░░░░░░░░ way by being able ░░░░░░░░ later erect and why ░░░░░░░░ collective movement is so ░░░░░░░░ right now So it ░░░░░░░░ your argument as well ░░░░░░░░ that of so many ░░░░░░░░ are saying this does ░░░░░░░░ symbolize erasing history but ░░░░░░░░ putting relics of history ░░░░░░░░ its proper place Would ░░░░░░░░ say that would be ░░░░░░░░ HAYTER Right History is ░░░░░░░░ much about forgetting as ░░░░░░░░ and I think what ░░░░░░░░ are really dealing with ░░░░░░░░ the crisis of memories ░░░░░░░░ have been chosen and ░░░░░░░░ to think that we ░░░░░░░░ erase history If you ░░░░░░░░ open a textbook there ░░░░░░░░ no minorities in those ░░░░░░░░ and they re dehumanized ░░░░░░░░ We have been effective ░░░░░░░░ erase history and what ░░░░░░░░ think people want is ░░░░░░░░ history more in keeping ░░░░░░░░ the people that erected ░░░░░░░░ monuments and people recognize ░░░░░░░░ confederate statutory and the ░░░░░░░░ of the lost cause ░░░░░░░░ a shadow on what ░░░░░░░░ has become in paving ░░░░░░░░ road to how we ░░░░░░░░ to now HAYTER Right ░░░░░░░░ there have been many ░░░░░░░░ argue while it is ░░░░░░░░ erasing history in which ░░░░░░░░ make the corrections if ░░░░░░░░ look at the precipice ░░░░░░░░ which some of the ░░░░░░░░ monuments put up that ░░░░░░░░ an attempt to rewrite ░░░░░░░░ trying to infer that ░░░░░░░░ South didn t lose ░░░░░░░░ that those symbols were ░░░░░░░░ representing a resurrection or ░░░░░░░░ hope of resurrection of ░░░░░░░░ Those monuments part of ░░░░░░░░ larger propaganda campaign designed ░░░░░░░░ rewrite the Civil War ░░░░░░░░ control the present and ░░░░░░░░ ideas by the way ░░░░░░░░ institutionalized in Jim Crow ░░░░░░░░ andened up in textbooks ░░░░░░░░ phased out until 1970s ░░░░░░░░ the 1980s and not ░░░░░░░░ the statuary It is ░░░░░░░░ of a larger tapestry ░░░░░░░░ bad ideas that were ░░░░░░░░ to The South and ░░░░░░░░ region and to a ░░░░░░░░ degree the United States ░░░░░░░░ quite sometime and we ░░░░░░░░ beginning to see people ░░░░░░░░ less tolerate with the ░░░░░░░░ of these ideas and ░░░░░░░░ right now Dr Julian ░░░░░░░░ Hayter appreciate having you ░░░░░░░░