Lost Cause, Potential Futures

Amidst the civil unrest brought on by police brutality across the United States, Black Lives Matter protestors have critiqued the presence of racist, colonial statues in the public sphere. Ongoing protests in Richmond, VA, center on the Lee Circle, reclaimed as Marcus-David Peters Circle. Since the protests began, statues around the city have been removed by protestors and city officials alike. The Robert E. Lee Monument remains, covered in graffiti and art projections. The Marcus-David Peters Circle has developed into a hub of political protests, concerts, and community gatherings. This online panel discussion hosted by the Penn Cultural Heritage Center will center on the ongoing activist movement in Richmond and the themes of racial justice, the power of monumentality, and the ongoing work being done to understand, grapple with, and reconfigure historical interpretation in public spaces.

Speakers

• Free Egunfemi Bangura, Historical Strategist
• Christy Coleman, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
• Alex Criqui, Artist
• Dustin Klein, Artist