Well, these are pictures of a group protesting the name change from “Confederate Place” to “Unity Place.” On Monday, January 20, 2003–Martin Luther King, Jr. Day–this group showed their support for the Confederacy. Surrounding one of the grossest examples of a participation trophy, the monument, this group voiced their opposition to the city of Louisville, KY, changing the street’s name.
Of all the days of the year to choose, they chose Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Often, these groups go out of their way to claim their support for the Confederacy or confederate flags, in general, isn’t racially motivated. I guess they all had the day off, so it was a convenient time to gather.
All images taken from the third or fourth floor of University Tower Apartments by Aaron A. Toscano (01/20/2003).
Eventually, the monument was dismantled and moved to Brandenburg, KY.
Intimidating Former Slaves in Birth of a Nation (1915)
The first American blockbuster film, a glorification of the Ku Klux Klan, has a rather telling scene in the last two minutes of the film about how to “control” previously emancipated slaves on election day…