Assignment: America’s hidden histories

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 12 October 2023

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It’s more than 150 years since the end of the American Civil War. But the replacement of a monument dedicated to the Confederate Commander Robert E Lee with a statue of black icon Henrietta Lacks has proved an emotive issue in Roanoke, Virginia. In a region steeped in the history and trauma of that war, the unveiling of a new memorial has shone a spotlight on the hidden histories of the United States. As Elizabeth Gabriel reports for Assignment, how we remember the past remains a divisive issue. Produced by Ben Wyatt Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Studio mix: Rod Farquhar Assignment editor: Penny Murphy (Image: Statue of Henrietta Lacks on Lacks Plaza, Roanoke. Credit: David Hungate and the Roanoke Times)

Transcript

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0:00.0	The explanation is the podcast from the BBC World Service that goes beyond the spin, exploring
0:07.4	the important questions about long-running stories and the latest global news. An honest
0:14.1	explanation of the events shaping our lives. Search for the explanation wherever you get
0:21.0	your BBC podcast.
0:22.4	Thank you for downloading this episode of Assignment on the documentary podcast from the
0:29.9	BBC World Service. This week we're in Virginia, in the United States, to hear about how historical
0:36.8	figures are memorialized.
0:43.1	Welcome to Assignment on the BBC World Service. Some of the sounds of downtown Roanoke.
0:50.8	It's a beautiful sunny day and I'm walking up to the plaza where there's a crowd of what
0:56.6	it looks like. Probably over 100 people turned out to see just what I've come to see.
1:02.8	The town of Roanoke sits in a valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a region steeped in
1:07.6	the history and trauma of the American Civil War. Though the conflict ended back in 1865,
1:15.1	the battle for how communities around here celebrate their history has never really stopped.
1:21.4	And today, local residents are gathering in the usually sleepy downtown plaza between
1:27.1	Church Avenue and Third Street. They've come to witness what's been promised as the start
1:31.9	of a new chapter for their town.
1:34.5	There's TV cameras bustling around and different reporters coming here to talk to people and
1:40.4	now I'm going to talk to a few people myself. Why are you all here today?
1:45.5	It seems like a historic event that's important that this woman be recognized for her
1:50.8	contributions. I'm here to see history being made. A Confederate statue used to stand
1:56.8	in this spot and to see it replace. It's going to be really awesome.
2:01.2	It is a moment of recognition. This is long overdue to recognize the contributions that
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