logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
50m 46s

The rise and fall of America's monuments

Vox
About this episode

Jamil Smith talks with Erin Thompson, professor of art crime and author of Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments. They discuss why we honor horrible people from the past in metal and stone, what effects these objects have on our present, and what's keeping so many of these monuments in place throughout America.

Host: Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Guest: Erin Thompson (@artcrimeprof), author; associate professor of art crime, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

References: 


Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

This episode was made by: 

  • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
  • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
  • Engineer: Patrick Boyd
  • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Jun 30
If AI can do your classwork, why go to college?
What’s the point of college if no one’s actually doing the work? It’s not a rhetorical question. In the age of AI, it's incredibly easy for students to offload their assignments. AI tools can write essays, make study guides, and even complete whole assignments. So what is the poi ... Show More
59m 21s
Jun 16
Is Trump winning?
We’re nearly six months into Donald Trump’s second term as president, and a lot of us are still trying to figure out what that actually means. Not just politically. But culturally. What kind of country are we living in? And what kind of future are we heading toward? In today’s ep ... Show More
52m 31s
Jun 9
A right-wing economist makes his case
For decades, the American right has stayed on brand: the economy. Low taxes. Free markets. Deregulation. Those have been the buzzwords for more than half a century. But that doctrine is now being challenged by other conservatives who envision a future in which America’s trade def ... Show More
1h 8m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2022
Political: So Much Free Speech!
Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, Title 42, and the current prayer in school debate. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Daphne Keller for The Center for Internet and Society: “What Does The DSA Say?” John Di ... Show More
1h 11m
Jun 2020
The war on bad statues
Jane, Dara, and Matt on Confederate Memorials, Woodrow Wilson, and the battle for historical memory.Resources:"Woodrow Wilson was extremely racist — even by the standards of his time" by Dylan Matthews, Vox"Inside the growing movement to ditch Columbus Day and celebrate Native Am ... Show More
1h 1m
Apr 2023
The Artist Who Was Both Loved and Disdained
We bring you a special episode from Sidedoor, a podcast about the treasures that fill the vaults of the Smithsonian. This story is inspired by “Big Band,” a defining work by the painter LeRoy Neiman.  Neiman was a character, a cultural gadfly and an omnipresent artist who sat for ... Show More
37m 12s
Jan 2024
America, America IS a Racist Country
Welcome home, y’all!  We're back with another episode of Native Land Pod, co-hosted by Tiffany Cross, Angela Rye and Andrew Gillum.  We appreciate each of you for making us the #1 podcast on Apple Podcasts for last week's debut!  This week's episode features a conversation about ... Show More
1h 27m
Feb 2024
Miami Ain’t No Sanctuary City
Welcome home, y’all! We are back with episode 4 of the Native Land Pod, co-hosted by Andrew Gillum, Angela Rye, and Tiffany Cross.  They kick off the conversation with an exploration of Sanctuary City policies, dissecting the economic realities and social responsibilities at play ... Show More
1h 51m
Jul 2024
A Giant Listening Project
It’s been called ‘the most noble and absurd undertaking ever attempted by any state.’ During the height of the Great Depression, the U.S government hired out-of-work writers and laid-off reporters and sent them out to record the stories of all kinds of Americans. Called the Feder ... Show More
25m 26s
Dec 2020
Author Connor Towne O’Neill On the Battle to Shape History
On today’s episode, Ryan talks to a fellow Southern transplant, writer Conor Towne O’Neill. They nerd out over their mutual fascination with the ghosts of American history that linger in the South, and how their presence looms in the Confederate monuments that even now, unconscio ... Show More
1h 12m
May 2023
New Podcast: These Times
UnHerd political editor Tom McTague and Cambridge professor Helen Thompson team up to investigate the history of today’s politics — and what it means for our future. Each week they will explore the great forces, ideas and events that led us to where we are, whether in Britain, th ... Show More
52s
Oct 2023
Assignment: America’s hidden histories
It’s more than 150 years since the end of the American Civil War. But the replacement of a monument dedicated to the Confederate Commander Robert E Lee with a statue of black icon Henrietta Lacks has proved an emotive issue in Roanoke, Virginia. In a region steeped in the history ... Show More
27m 46s