“There is a difference between remembrance of history and reverence of it. For America and New Orleans, it has been a long, winding road, marked by great tragedy and great triumph. But we cannot be afraid of our truth.”
Hours before workers removed a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu delivered this powerful speech about the historic moment.
His speech about the removal of Confederate monuments tackles the complicated history of his city and America in general with a straight-forward, honest, and hopeful tone that’s heard too infrequently these days from our politicians.