Is 'Confederate History Month' racist?

The governor of Virginia has faced charges of racism for designating April as "Confederate History Month" without mentioning slavery. Did he need to?

Is this a symbol of Southern pride, or racism?
(Image credit: Wikimedia)

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, even if, as McDonnell claims, it's "just for the money" tourism will bring to the state. No one is arguing that the Confederacy should be "erased from memory," or school history lessons, but dedicating an entire month to it "implies a level of admiration."

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