High Noon: “Why Southern History Matters Today”

The recent controversies over the Confederate flag and Benjamin Tillman Hall at Clemson University remind us that symbols esteemed in our past sometimes jump forth to haunt our present.  But what, if anything, do people in the present owe to their past? Is it better just to forget the past in an effort to start anew?

Furman history professor Steve O’Neill will address those questions when he speaks at the university’s High Noon spring lecture series Wednesday, April 20 at the Upcountry History Museum-Furman.

His talk, “What We Remember, What We Forget: Why Southern History Matters Today,” begins at noon.  It is free and open to the public.

O’Neill’s talk is the final lecture of the spring High Noon series.

A native of Charleston, O’Neill’s scholarly work focuses on the American South, South Carolina history, and public history. He has done extensive research on the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina, and he co-chaired a Furman committee in 2014-15 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of desegregation at the university.  He is a graduate of Furman, and holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Virginia.

The Upcountry History Museum/Furman is located at 540 Buncombe Street in downtown Greenville’s Heritage Green area.

For more information, contact Furman’s Marketing and Public Relations office at 864-294-3107 or vince.moore@furman.edu.