Date Recorded: October 8, 2020
The Power of Symbols: Monuments and Flags
On a Friday night in 2017, a group of about 250 people carrying torches, primarily young white men, marched in a column toward a statue of Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia. Violence erupted as they met a multiracial group of about 30 counterprotesters who had locked arms around the statue's base. This first night of violence would set off days of mayhem in Charlottesville.
In this fourth webinar in the Power to the People series from the Center for Civic Education, Brandon Hasbrouck, Assistant Professor of Law at the Washington and Lee University School of Law, explains why symbols like monuments and flags have such power and emotional impact on Americans.
The Power of Symbols: Monuments and Flags webinar is designed for teachers of civics, government, and U.S. history who want to better understand current controversies surrounding monuments and flags.
Professional Development
The Center has offered high-quality educator professional development for decades. Today, we provide such opportunities through our partners in several states in addition to organized Center events, self-paced online courses, and special webinars.