I wish -- our house is on a hill, though.

Vicki-Every time I see this it is like the first time-it gives me chills.

These are such important initiatives, and I hope that every destination will share the "fuller stories" with SATW members when they visit. I've been hungry to learn this and sometimes have to work to find this kind of information or sites.

Matt, will Franklin have its annual Christmas celebration downtown this year? Will this be the first December these new markers are up?

I agree. What we prioritize, we memorialize.

Confederate statues - ick.

Any talk of removing the Confederate statue?

Kelsey: The annual Christmas celebration is canceled in its normal form this year, but the markers were installed last Oct. so they were there for the Dickens of a Christmas festival last year.

OK - thank you!

Elizabeth: There was some talk of that for sure, but ultimately the founders of the Fuller Story and the community wanted to tell it all rather than take it down. Also aids that view that the statue is of a generic soldier and not of a specific general or soldier like others.

Copy that, Renee!

There is a confederate statue in the town that I live in and the city refuses to take it down. But maybe if I pitch this “fuller story” idea, they’d do that. I’m going to try it. Thank you, Matthew!

Go for it Cory! And use us a resource if needed. The founders (and us) will talk to anyone about what we did and why we did it.

We are dealing with similar issues with our Canadian founding father John A. Macdonald who was racist toward Indigenous peoples and trying to assimilate (or wipe out) them. Many battles over statues of him.

Cory, the confederate statues in Birmingham were removed during the protests after George Floyd's death. The State of Alabama fined the City of Birmingham, but several groups pitched in and paid the fines. I say go for it!

Same for us here in Hot Springs. Confederate soldier statue stands where three Black men were lynched. The land is owned by a local chapter of Daughters of American Revolution. So far, they are not willing to consider having it moved. "Fuller story" might work.

can we share these sites' names that Cordell is mentioning in the chat?

I hope this turns into a grant-funded project tailored as a "do it in your town" resource to be purchased or partnered.

I really like the Fuller Story approach. What are towns/cities doing about names of streets, plazas, institutions named after historic racists?

At the San Juan Island National Historical Park in Washington State, folks want to change the name of Pickett’s Lane. Pickett who was from the South was stationed out here and left to join the Confederacy.

Thank you all so much. Such a meaningful exchange!

I will absolutely use Franklin as a resource, Matthew. Thanks for including all the info on the Franklin site!

Vickie, so many stories I knew nothing about. Thank you!

I like the idea of telling the fuller story. Pickett led Pickett’s charge at the battle of Gettysburg there is a lot of story to tell. He also married a Native American woman and left her.

someday gather stories of how people felt living under the shadow of particularly offensive Confederate monuments

The link for anyone that wants it - https://visitfranklin.com/fuller-story-project/

Any questions for panelists?

Question: Once COVID is over, do you anticipate more tourists wanting to dig into Civil Rights history in your towns? Are you preparing for this in light of recent events?

Maureen: In Franklin that talk about street names, etc., is ongoing. Several neighborhoods and a golf course have already changed. With our roads, several are state owned so that process is quite a bit more involved.

Grant funded! There are philanthropists that are looking to fund these kinds of sites. We have some in the DC Area.

What resistance (other than ignorance) have you all faced to sharing these fuller stories and how can media help overcome that resistance?

Are the panelists familiar with any other sites/towns/places that are committed to telling the fuller story?

Many of the colonial era presidential homes in Virginia are incorporating stories of the enslaved and indigenous people associated with the sites. James Madison's Montpelier in Orange, VA is a leading example of this.

Thank you Mathew. We in Canada are grappling with this right now as it becomes more clear what the views were of many of our colonialist founding fathers. Not much has changed yet…but there is hope and perhaps using a Fuller Story approach for statues will be a good start.

must be really hard to deal with the Daughters

I just want to say that this was a phenomenal session. I learned a lot. Thank you Vickie, Matthew, Cordell, and Tonya!!

Thank you Vickie, Matthew and Cordell for the illuminating discussion, and thank you Tonya for inspired questions!

Equity is not exclusion. Let's just tell the stories of everyone who was with the good general. A humanizing project.

The pie is a good analogy. i feel like I’ve definitely encountered that POV

This has been fantastic, which lots to think about. I’m based in the Mid-Atlantic, with Revolutionary and Civil War history around every corner, and so many untold stories. Thanks for the illumination and inspiration, and all the work you’re doing!

In Cajun country, the conversation starts like this: "Hello? Statue?"

Some aspiring entrepreneur/ad agency needs to write a grant proposal for a scalable resource kit, Fuller Stories.

Interesting idea Rebecca. An idea for someone out there.

“Frontload the humanity, not the circumstance” slave to enslaved

"Frontload the humanity, not the circumstance." This is such critical language to promote progressive thinking.

Monticello has started to do a good job telling the full story about Thomas Jefferson. Sally Hemmings is no longer hidden, but part of every tour.

Thanks to you all! This was extremely helpful.

Loved this session. Strong and illuminating.

Fabulous session - thank you!

This has been a great session! Thank you to all!

GREAT session!

Very good session

Wonderful to see this session!

Thank you everyone!