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November - 2025

Nov 20

Monuments and Morality: How Public Sites Shape Our Values, and How They Ought to Do So

Blocker Auditorium

12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.

Public sites and structures shape what we honor and what we forget. They can embody the legacy of one group and the trauma of another—the Confederate Memorial in Portsmouth once stood on the site of a slave whipping post, and the Emancipation Oak in Hampton is more than just a tree. How should public sites be designed considering complex histories. How can we develop a consistent view when historical pride, personal attachment, and moral discomfort share the same ground. Levi Tenen leads a provocative exploration of these issues and the ethics of public space more generally. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.