The Propaganda of History: W. E. B. Du Bois versus the Lost Cause
The Propaganda of History: W. E. B. Du Bois versus the Lost Cause In-Person
W. E. B. Du Bois dedicated much of his career as both a scholar and activist to discrediting and combatting the so-called 'Lost Cause' myth associated with the Confederate States of America. He rightly identified this mythic framework as one which sought to gloss over the truths of American history - specifically the history of slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction - while serving as a socio-cultural foundation for efforts to oppose racial equality and social justice in the present. Du Bois used books, articles, editorials, speeches, pageants, and public ceremonies to expose the falsehoods and dangers of Lost Cause ideology throughout his long life. His arguments flew in the face of many of the prevailing ideas of his time, and indeed are virulently opposed by some voices today. Arguments over historical memory continue in public schools, on campuses, in towns and cities throughout the country, and the work of W. E. B. Du Bois can help inform contemporary debates about a continually divisive topic.
Location: Du Bois Library, W. E. B. Du Bois Center, Room 2220 (22nd floor)
- Date:
- Thursday, April 25, 2024
- Time:
- 12:00pm - 1:00pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Location:
- W. E. B. Du Bois Library, W. E. B. Du Bois Center (Floor 22)
- Audience:
- Alumni Faculty General Public Graduate Students Library Donors Staff Undergraduates
- Categories:
- Workshops
