In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History [B1793]

2018 HCDJ in nice clean condition. The New Orleans mayor who removed the Confederate statues confronts the racism that shapes us and argues for white America to reckon with its past. A passionate, personal, urgent book from the man who sparked a national debate. "There is a difference between remembrance of history and reverence for it." When Mitch Landrieu addressed the people of New Orleans in May 2017 about his decision to take down four Confederate monuments, including the statue of Robert E. Lee, he struck a nerve nationally, and his speech has now been heard or seen by millions across the country. In his first book, Mayor Landrieu discusses his personal journey on race as well as the path he took to making the decision to remove the monuments, tackles the broader history of slavery, race and institutional inequities that still bedevil America, and traces his personal relationship to this history. His father, as state legislator and mayor, was a huge force in the integration of New Orleans in the 1960s and 19070s. Landrieu grew up with a progressive education in one of the nation's most racially divided cities, but even he had to relearn Southern history as it really happened.

Equal parts unblinking memoir, history, and prescription for finally confronting America's most painful legacy, In the Shadow of Statues will contribute strongly to the national conversation about race in the age of Donald Trump, at a time when racism is resurgent with seemingly tacit approval from the highest levels of government and when too many Americans have a misplaced nostalgia for a time and place that never existed.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Great short book with an important lesson that everyone should read. It seems even more important in 2025 than it did when it was published in 2018. As a white man, I connected with Mitch's perspective and narrative as he explains why it matters what symbols we erect in our society."; "Having visited New Orleans numerous times (always a fun place), and having a father who was in public service, this book intrigued me. Statues have been controversial to some of us only recently but to many for a much longer time period. I appreciate the author's honesty and courage (he was threatened by many) to take action. Also, I am grateful he was open to growing personally and expanding his view of our world. My hope is people will seek to learn more about history, from many sources, and try to understand others' viewpoints."; "More a memoir than an account of the removal of Confederate statues from New Orleans. But former mayor Landrieu, who led that effort to remove the monuments, shares a narrative that includes the monuments but also addresses love for one's home city, a deep desire for societal equity, and political ambition. Any story set in New Orleans is worth reading for me, and Landrieu's dedication to all of his city is most impressive. His speech about the removal of the monuments, which is one of the best American speeches of the 21st century, is in the book as well."