Keith Eberly, Assistant Professor of Education and History, Muskingum University

Proposal Type

Panel

Seeking
  • Seeking Additional Presenters
  • General Feedback and Interest
Related Topics
  • Civic Engagement
  • Memory
  • Other: Monuments & Memorials
Abstract

Between 1974 and 1997, New Deal liberals designed, promoted, and ultimately built a memorial to FDR on the National Mall. They intended the memorial as a tribute to not only FDR, but also a nation that endured terrible depression and war; it symbolized shared experiences and common ideals. But by the 1997 dedication, voices on the left and right undermined this message. Conservatives critiqued the memorial for its positive message about the role of government as well as its “political correctness.” On the Left, identity politics drove a critique, which raised questions about racial justice and civil liberties as well as the memorial’s failure to depict FDR’s disability. This debate signaled the nation’s decline as a site of shared meaning.

Seeking

I’d like to find other people interested in presenting on either monuments and memorials and/or the decline of national memory in public culture.

I’m also interested in learning more about the concept of “the middle” and its decline in American life. I’m inclined to agree with the general premise that the loudest, most extreme voices are heard more and more, while the vast majority of Americans remain silent in the middle. But this makes me think of two things: first, it’s too reminiscent of Richard Nixon’s Silent Majority, which was problematic in all kinds of ways. Second, “the middle” as a concept is also slippery. Most people think their views are “reasonable” no matter how much I or others might disagree. It’s similar to the idea of the “middle class.” Most Americans, rich and poor, think they belong to the middle class. This perception (or misperception) makes the term “middle class” not only interesting, but also tricky to use. I definitely want to learn more about this idea of “the middle.”


If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to share contact information for other people the proposer should reach out to, please get in contact directly: Keith Eberly

If you have general ideas or feedback to share please feel free to use the comments feature below.

All feedback, and offers of assistance, should be submitted by July 3, 2016.

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Discussion

1 comment
  1. Hi Keith! Nice to hear about one of your projects.

    Since most NCPH attendees are practitioners, I think that framing your talk along the lines of what we can learn from this historical case study would be most beneficial to audience members. Did the critiques you mentioned lead to changes in the memorial’s design or interpretation? What did the park service do well, and what could they have done better in responding to the criticisms? Do you see similarities between the 1990s Culture Wars and contemporary controversies surrounding memorials (Confederate memorials jump to mind, but there are probably plenty of other examples).

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