University Times

Can we reinterpret monuments … or do they speak for themselves? Are monuments an opportunity for learning about the past rather than forgetting about the past? Or are they an enduring reminder of repression and hate? How much does the creator’s original intention matter?

These and other questions will be addressed at a moderated panel discussion later this month titled “American Memorials in the 21st Century: A Monumental Mess?”

The event is the latest forum in the University Forums on Current Issues series developed earlier this year by the Office of the Provost. The series aims to brings together experts from Pitt (and Pittsburgh) with the University community for civil discussions about current issues facing society. The Nov. 20 event will address the issue of public monuments and memorials — a topic of relevance to the Oakland community in light of the recent decision to remove the city-owned Stephen Foster statue that is located near Pitt’s campus.

The panel features individuals who have discussed and written about the current controversy over monuments, including Laurence Glasco, associate professor, Department of History; Kirk Savage, professor, Department of History of Art and Architecture; Christel Temple, chair and associate professor, Department of Africana Studies; and Andrew Masich, president and CEO, Heinz History Center.

Following the discussion, Deane Root, chair of the Department of Music, and director of the Center for American Music, will lead a question-and-answer session.

Past forums have explored the social and political issues that have been raised by current events over the past year, including immigration law and policy, the role of Russian hacking in the U.S. presidential election, health care and the Affordable Care Act, journalism and the First Amendment, the rise of populism, voting rights and hate crimes.

If You Go

“American Memorials in the 21^st Century: A Monumental Mess?”
University Forum on Current Issues
Nov. 20, 2017
3:45-5 p.m.
Posvar Hall Provost Suites (Rooms 2500-2700)