84. On Richmond’s Transformed Monument Avenue, A Group of Historians Erect Rogue Historical Markers

Near the empty pedestals of Confederate figures that used to tower over Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, a new type of historical marker now stands. The markers have most of the trappings of a state-erected historical plaque—but these are rogue markers erected by a group of anonymous historians called History is Illuminating. History is Illuminating decided to use historical markers as a medium to talk about the Black history taking place while those statues were erected as monuments to white supremacy. In this episode, an anonymous member of History is Illuminating discusses the ubiquity of the Lost Cause narrative, the reasons for being anonymous and going rogue, and the means of historical marker production. Topics and Notes 00:00 Intro 00:15 Historical Markers in the U.S. South 01:00 History is Illuminating 01:20 Rogue Historians 02:10 Lost Cause Narrative 03:13 Monument Avenue 05:15 The Origins of History is Illuminating 06:10 Studio Two Three 06:20 Naming History is Illuminating 08:10 Constructing the Historical Markers 08:30 Episode 42. Freddi Williams Evans and Luther Gray Are Erecting Historic Markers on the Slave Trade in New Orleans 09:05 The Markers 09:45 John Mitchell Jr. 10:30 Going Rogue 11:00 Means of Historical Marker Production 12:35 Learn More and Donate to History is Illuminating 13:05 SPONSOR: Pigeon by SRISYS 🐦 13:52 Outro | Join Club Archipelago 🏖 Museum Archipelago is a tiny show guiding you through the rocky landscape of museums. Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Overcast , Spotify , or even email to never miss an episode. Sponsor: Pigeon by SRISYS 🐦 This episode of Museum Archipelago is brought to you by SRISYS Inc - an innovative IT Apps Development Company with its Smart Products like Project Eagle - an agile messaging platform and PIGEON - a real-time, intelligent platform that uncovers the power of wayfinding for your museum, enabling your visitors to maximize their day at your venue. Using SRISYS's Pigeon, the museum's management can gather real-time data for managing space effectively about visitors while improving their ROI through marketing automation. Visitors can navigate the maze of a museum with ease, conduct automated and personalized tours based on their interest, RSVP for events, and get more information about the exhibits in front of them. Pigeon is a flexible platform and can be customized to work for your museum. A