The role of Civil War, Race, and Memory on the January 6 assault: American Impasse 3 of 4

On April 19, 2021, a panel convened by the School of Arts and Sciences discussed the role of race, history, and memory in the January 6 assault, emphasizing the use of Civil War symbolism during and after the event.

Panelists

• Melody Barnes, professor of practice, Dorothy Danforth Compton Professor, and co-director of the Democracy Initiative at University of Virginia
• Eric Foner, DeWitt Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University
• Mitch Landrieu, B.A. 1982, founder and president of E Pluribus Unum and the former mayor of New Orleans

Moderator

Steven West, associate professor of history at The Catholic University of America

About this speaker series

The assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was an unprecedented moment of violence and self-destruction. Its shadow will fall across American politics for a long time to come. In this speaker series, "American Impasse: Politics, Citizenship, and Democracy in 2021," The Catholic University of America has gathered leading voices from across the political spectrum and from journalism, academia, politics, and think tanks to discuss the origins and the greater meaning of this event. They address – in turn – the social causes of the January 6 assault, the political causes, the Civil War resonance, and the implications for citizenship and the future of American democracy.

The speakers' series is sponsored by the School of Arts and Sciences through the generosity of its Board of Visitors. It is co-sponsored by the Office of Alumni Engagement.