Is Confederate History Month racist?
Best Opinion: Mediaite, Moderate Voice, American Prospect… Restarting a controversial tradition that began in the 1990s but died eight years ago under his Democratic predecessor, Virginia’s Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell has designated April “Confederate History Month” as a tribute to the soldiers who fought and died for the South in the Civil War. Unlike the last such proclamation, however, McDonnell didn’t mention slavery, explaining that it wasn’t among the “most significant” causes of the Civil War for Virginia. He subsequently reversed himself and added anti-slavery language, but critics are still accusing him of racism. Are Confederate History Months — celebrated in several Southern states, with and without nods to slavery — inherently racist? (Watch an MSNBC discussion about Confederate History Month) It’s offensive to celebrate slavery: Confederate History Month is a “glorification of slavery, racism, and treason,” says Frances Martel in Mediaite. And it’s hugely offensive, ev
