Saturday, June 13, 2015

Letter to Edward Ayers, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Civil War Museum of which the Museum of the Confederacy is a part.

The Museum of the Confederacy (MOC) is hosting the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) on July 15, 2015 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. This event is part of the SCV 2015 National Reunion in Richmond, VA.

A protest is planned from 5pm to 9 pm as one of the counter activities against the SCV 2015 Reunion in Richmond, Virginia. More information will be forthcoming.

A certified letter was sent to Edward Ayers, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Civil War Museum of which the MOC is a part. Copies were sent to all the members of the board of directors by proof of mailing.

It should be noted that Ms. Ruth C. Streeter of "CBS 60 Minutes" is a board member.


June 12, 2015


                                                                                    edwardsebesta@gmail.com

Edward Ayers
Chairman Board of Directors
American Civil War Museum
490 Tredegar St.
Richmond, VA 23219

Dear Dr. Ayers:

I read with great regret that the Museum of the Confederacy (MOC) is holding a reception for the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) Wednesday July 15, 2015 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.  The scheduled event is announce online at http://www.jebstuartcamp.org/jebstuartcamp.org/2015reunion/docs/2015_Schedule.pdf and http://www.jebstuartcamp.org/jebstuartcamp.org/2015reunion/docs/Speakers%20and%20Performances.pdf.  Note that the SCV “Heritage Luncheon” involves presentations by the neo-Confederate Kennedy brothers.  I enclose copies of each.

As you probably already know, but for the benefit of those to whom this letter is copied, I am an investigative researcher into the neo-Confederate movement published by university presses, peer-reviewed academic journals, Black Commentator, and other venues.  My curriculum vitae is online at www.templeofdemocracy.com.

What type of organization the SCV is documented online in these two articles: 1) A dossier at Black Commentator, http://www.blackcommentator.com/526/526_confederacy_sebesta_guest_share.html; and a recent article in Politico, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/civil-war-american-south-still-loves-confederacy-116771.html#.VXlrXflViko.  I enclose copies of each.

That the MOC would hold a reception for the SCV is not surprising. People point out the exhibit and book “Before Freedom Came” to defend the MOC. What people don’t know is that the MOC had an event at the MOC where Ludwell Johnson gave a racist screed as an acceptance speech upon being made a MOC fellow about the same time as the exhibition of “Before Freedom Came.”  My four part series on the MOC is online at Black Commentator. The first installment is at this link http://www.blackcommentator.com/441/441_museum_confederacy_sebesta_guest_share.html from which you can go to the other three installments. Or you can find a link to it through my curriculum vitae at www.templeofdemocracy.com.

However, unlike in the past where the activities of enabling the neo-Confederates, enabling the Lost Cause, and being a shrine for the Confederacy was an activity of the Museum of the Confederacy, this activity now is an activity of the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia and this activity defines what type of institution the American Civil War Museum is.

For the American Civil War Museum, which purports to be an educational institution, to be enabling the SCV whose activities are an attack on the very integrity of history is a travesty. For the American Civil War Museum, which might purport to being an institution for a modern multi-racial America, enabling the SCV which promotes racist and pro-slavery literature and defends the white supremacist and pro-slavery Confederacy is a travesty.

Giving the SCV space to have a reception would be the mode of operation of an institution whose guiding principle is maximum merchandising of the Civil War to the maximum audience heedless of consequences.

I should like to give an example of the type of history that the SCV promotes.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) in their magazine, merchandise catalog, and online sells and promotes the book, “The South Under Siege, 1830-2000,” by Frank Conner, Collards Press, 2002.

The SCV is selling the book to its members in the Jan./Feb. 2015 and the May/June 2015 issue of Confederate Veteran, the official publication of the SCV.

In both the Jan./Feb. 2015 & May/June 2015 issue the book is sold along with other things as “Confederate Gifts from GHQ” (GHQ, General HeadQuarters).  It is sold in the merchandise catalog insert in the Sept./Oct. 2013 issue of the Confederate Veteran.

The SCV recommends this book as follows:

This important new book by SCV member Frank Conner examines the true relations between the North and South from 1830 to June 2000. It identifies the real history of each region, and the lies and distortion by which the Northern liberals have created totally false stereotypes of both the Northern liberal and the traditional white Southerner. It tells what the North has done to the South, and why the North claims to have done it, why the North really did it, and what the consequences have been. An excellent defense against the official history currently taught in the government schools. [italics in the original, Jan./Feb. 2015, Confederate Veteran, Vol. 73 No.1, page 70, and the same text in May/June 2015 Confederate Veteran, Vol. 73 No. 3 page 70]

This book has been sold by the SCV starting as early with an advertisement in the Sept./Oct. 2004 Confederate Veteran, as a “Confederate Gift from IHQ,” with the same book notice.

The book is sold by the SCV Online as of 5/25/2013 with the same book notice. As well it is sold in the Sons of Confederate Veterans Merchandise Catalog for 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2011-2012. [https://scv.secure-sites.us/store.php, printed out 5/25/2013.  Sons of Confederate Veterans Merchandise Catalog 2004-2005, page 29; Sons of Confederate Veteran Merchandise Catalog 2005-2006, page 29; Sons of Confederate  Veteran Merchandise Catalog 2008-2009, page 28; Sons of Confederate Veteran Merchandise Catalog 2009-2010, page 28; Sons of Confederate Veteran Merchandise Catalog 2011-2012, page 28. Note, the author only possesses five of these catalogs, there may be others which might also have this book listed.]

Southern Mercury is a magazine that was published by the Foundation for the Preservation of American Culture, listed as “the educational foundation of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.” [Vol. 5 No. 3, June 2007, Southern Mercury, full page advertisement back outside cover.]

Conner’s book is positively reviewed by Anne Rives Zappa in the Southern Mercury who opens the review stating, “’The South Under Siege’ is a masterful volume of work painstakingly researched by Frank Conner.” [Zappa, Ann Rives, “The South Under Siege 1830-2000,” pages 30-31, Southern Mercury, Vol. 1 No. 2, September/October 2003.]

Conner’s book argues that the 20th century Civil Rights movement was a Jewish conspiracy carried out against the South and that the idea of racial equality was itself a part of a Jewish conspiracy.

On page 392 in his book Connor states:

Until after the turn of the 20th century, anthropologists had routinely recorded genetic as well as cultural differences between races and ethnic groups – that being the whole point of anthropology. The highlighted differences among the races hand included those of intelligence. But as Kevin MacDonald points out in The Culture of Critique, a German-Jewish-immigrant named Franz Boas changed all that. At Columbia, Boas arbitrarily claimed that biological differences between races were miniscule – that environment alone shaped the behavior of the different races and ethnic groups (a la Rousseau). A number of other Jewish anthropologists swiftly adopted Boas’ position; and soon the Jews dominated the field of cultural anthropology. As MacDonald points out, by 1915 the Jews had gained control of the American Anthropological Association; and by 1926 they were chairing the anthropology departments at all of the major universities.

One page 396 Conner explains:

— Jews will excel in society and the economy if allowed to compete fully. The only way the Gentiles can maintain superiority is by discriminating against the Jews; and so, discrimination against Jews is a common tactic in most countries — including the U.S.

On page 397 Conner explains:

— Second, under the concept of pluralism, the Jews can select whichever “victim” group is demonstrably being discriminated against the most (i.e. the Blacks) and run a full-blown civil-rights campaign to guilt-trip the white Gentiles into ending discrimination against that group. This approach offers two powerful advantages: first, if there is a blacklash of violence against the civil-rights campaign, it will erupt all over the blacks, not the Jews. Second (as is hinted delicately but consistently by a number of Jewish authors), the Jews as a group are quite a bit smarter than the blacks – or any of the other candidate “victim” groups; accordingly, the Jews themselves will be poised to take full advantage of each new anti-discrimination law or ruling or social taboo ostensibly created to benefit the blacks, while the blacks are still fumbling around; and the Gentiles won’t even notice what’s happening.

On page 398 in the book Conner titles a paragraph as follows:

Northern Jews Wage All-Out Ideological Warfare Against the White South. [Underline in the original.]

The chapter is just filled with material like that quoted with the following on page 406, last page of the chapter:

Look well at the Northern Jewish intellectuals/activists, O South, for they – who by rights should have been your closest friends – are by their own choice your dedicated and deadliest enemy.

I enclose documentation. I find it hard to believe that the Museum of the Confederacy is unaware of this book and further Frank Conner may very well be at the reception at the MOC since he is a prominent neo-Confederate and SCV member.  

I ask the American Civil War Museum to not host the Sons of Confederate Veterans, stop pandering to neo-Confederates or enable them in any way.



                                                                                    Sincerely Yours,




                                                                                    Edward H. Sebesta


CC: See table on next page.

No.
Name
Affiliation
1
Mr. Dennis I. Belcher
McGuire Woods
2
Mr. George C. Freeman III
Universal Corporation
3
Mr. Bruce C. Gottwald Sr.
NewMarket Corporation
4
Mr. Bernard Grisby
The Pines
5
Dr. Monroe E. Harris Sr.
Virginia Oral and Facial Surgery
6
Mr. David C. Johnson Jr
Marketfield Asset Management
7
Mr. Donald E. King
McGuire Woods
8
Mr. William H. Luke
Mead Wesvaco
9
Mr. Robert N. Mayer
Rothschild Foundation
10
Dr. Elisabeth S. Muhlenfield
Retired
11
Mr. Roswell Page III
McGuire Woods
12
Mr. Walter S. Robertson III
Sterne, Agee & Leach Inc
13
Mr. O. Randolph Rollins
Drive-To-Work
14
Mr. S. Buford Scott
Scott & Stringfellow, Inc.
15
Ms. Ruth C. Streeter
CBS News "60 Minutes"
16
Mr. Brandt Surgner
Altria Group, Inc.
17
Mr. Matthew G. Thompson Jr.
CSC Leasing Company
18
Mr. Lacy Ward Jr.
International Civil Rights Center and Museum
19
Mr. Mario M. White
Virginia State University
20
Mr. Samuel B. Witt III
Retired


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