Monumental

Monumental•play.prx.org

Monumental interrogates the state of monuments across the country and what their future says about our own. In this 10-episode series, host and author Ashley C Ford and a team of audio journalists from around the country will piece together the complex stories behind some of the thousands of monuments that exist in every corner of the U.S. Listen to Monumental weekly on Mondays beginning October 30, 2023.

For more information about Monumental, visit our website at www.prx.org/monumental

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Episodes

Introducing: The Hustle

The Hustle explores the 1885 Rock Springs Massacre, a brutal event where white mobs, incited by private industry, murdered Chinese coal miners in Wyoming. The episode unearths how this history was deliberately forgotten, with the government failing to protect Chinese workers and narratives being reshaped to blame the victims. Through interviews with contemporary Chinese Americans in Rock Springs and descendants of the massacre, it connects past exploitation and racism to the ongoing challenges faced by immigrant communities navigating a changing economy, highlighting the enduring impact of suppressed histories.

Jun 01, 2025•36 min

Introducing: Modern West

If you enjoyed our Monumental episode about Esther Hobart Morris, the first woman justice of the peace, here’s another podcast that might be right up your alley. It's about South Pass in central Wyoming where Esther served as judge. The area has endured five booms and busts since Esther lived there in the late 1800s. And now, a new boom has come along...thanks to the popularity of some hiking and biking trails that pass through there. Hosted and produced by Melodie Edwards, Modern West is a podc...

Jun 26, 2024•38 min

Bringing Monuments Home

The podcast delves into the evolving landscape of monuments, moving beyond traditional forms to create spaces that inspire reflection, reckoning, and healing. It highlights the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, examining its blend of representational and abstract art to confront the legacy of lynching, drawing inspiration from German Holocaust memorials. The episode also explores innovative, decentralized approaches, including Germany's "stumbling stones," Chicago's Race Riot memorial project, augmented reality apps for "invisible monuments," and the Gun Violence Memorial Project, all emphasizing human-scaled stories and community engagement to make history visible and personal.

Feb 26, 2024•1 hr

Staring Down Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain Park is Georgia's most popular attraction, and its centerpiece is a massive rock carving that depicts three Confederate leaders who fought a Civil War over the right to own slaves and lost. It’s the largest Confederate monument in the entire world. The mere presence, let alone the popularity of Stone Mountain raises this question: If people can be oblivious or indifferent to something as big as that carving, then what about the rest of the nation that lives not only with monuments...

Feb 19, 2024•53 min

Hell Valley, Hawai‘i, USA

Pearl Harbor National Monument is the most visited place in Hawaii, and it’s one of two national sites recognizing a foreign assault on U.S. soil. The monument tells the story of the Japanese Empire’s sneak attack on the island of Oahu in 1941 and how the U.S. declared war on Japan and entered World War II the following day. But the U.S. government did something else that’s not often talked about: martial law was immediately declared in Hawaii, followed by the incarceration of men, women and chi...

Feb 12, 2024•53 min

In NYC, A Tale of Two Monuments

The podcast explores the national struggle to acknowledge slavery's foundational role in America, using New York City's Federal Hall and the African Burial Ground as a case study. It contrasts Federal Hall's celebratory narrative of American "firsts" with the African Burial Ground's rediscovery and the tireless community efforts to memorialize enslaved Africans. The episode advocates for integrating these intertwined histories, highlighting the "interpretive malpractice" of omitting slavery and discussing how monuments can foster a more complete national reckoning.

Feb 05, 2024•46 min

The Suffragist in the Basement

The podcast delves into the contentious journey of Esther Hobart Morris's statue, which once stood proudly outside the Wyoming Capitol but now resides in the basement. It contrasts her fate with newly commissioned allegorical statues, examining the differing public perceptions of honoring real versus mythical women. The episode also uncovers the complex historical context of Wyoming's "equality state" identity and how powerful narratives, both supportive and revisionist, have shaped Esther's legacy, ultimately questioning the state's commitment to women's equality.

Jan 29, 2024•52 min

Whispers in Wilmington

We’re used to recognizing someone powerful with a statue. But what happens when there’s no statue or memorial to a traumatic event? Whoever lives with the impact of that painful history has to confront the kind of power it takes to keep it hidden for so long. In this episode, we uncover the story of the only successful coup d’etat ever to happen on American soil. This act of racial violence was designed to eliminate all memory of a highly successful Black community in Wilmington, North Carolina ...

Nov 27, 2023•51 min

Boston’s Tribute to Chinatown’s Everyday Heroes

This episode delves into Boston's new monument honoring Chinatown's immigrant workers, challenging traditional hero narratives. It explores artist Wen T. Sen's decades-long journey to create bronze statues that represent the collective contributions of Chinese American laborers, amidst a history of invisibility, racism, and stereotypes. The project, spurred by a surge in anti-Asian hate, aims to provide long-overdue recognition and spark intergenerational dialogue.

Nov 20, 2023•46 min

Monumental Conflict in Santa Fe

Santa Fe's Soldiers' Monument, erected after the Civil War, honored Union soldiers but controversially included a plaque celebrating battles against "savage Indians." This episode delves into the 2020 removal of the obelisk, igniting long-standing tensions and a profound identity crisis between the city's Hispanic and Indigenous communities. It uncovers how Santa Fe's 400-year history is built on colonialism, slavery, and mythology, challenging residents to confront their past and forge a new future. The narrative explores personal struggles, community activism, and the search for an authentic New Mexican identity beyond whitewashed narratives.

Nov 13, 2023•52 min

The Cult of Columbus

For generations, Christopher Columbus has been glorified in monument after monument across the United States. And while Columbus statues have recently started coming down, including in cities like Columbus, Ohio, the largest one in the world is standing tall - very, very tall… in a U.S. territory – the beach town of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. In this episode, reporter and journalism professor Gisele Regatão travels to Puerto Rico and beyond to uncover the roots of Columbus’ glorification in U.S. hist...

Nov 06, 2023•41 min

Are Monuments Set in Stone?

Monuments are not immovable. What we commemorate, what we lift up, what story we tell as a nation has always been changing. How and why do monuments evolve and why are we tackling this now? We'll ask the difficult questions about the meaning they hold in our public spaces and our culture. We'll situate this series in the current movement to remove historically inaccurate or oppressive monuments and look at how we memorialize today, from the collective outrage symbolized by George Floyd Square to...

Oct 30, 2023•49 min

Introducing: Monumental

The landscape of public memory is shifting. As we re-examine the plaques in our parks and sculptures on our streets, we grapple with what to do with them. Once we learn the stories these objects tell about who we are, will tearing down statues and renaming schools be enough? Monumental interrogates the state of monuments across the country and what their future says about our own. In this 10-episode series, host, journalist and author Ashley C. Ford and a team of independent producers from aroun...

Oct 23, 2023•4 min

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