Symbols of oppression: The role of confederate monuments in the great migration

Abstract

Dominant groups worldwide have historically asserted power by constructing in public spaces monuments that glorify their narrative, vis-à-vis their opponents’. How do divisive public símbols affect the location choices of those who oppose them? I investigate this historically and today, focusing on Confederate monuments in the US South – erected by southern whites in the early 20th century and opposed by Black Americans due to their connection to slavery. Historically, I show that southern counties with monuments saw a sharp decline in the Black share of the population – driven by out-migration – following their construction. However, monuments themselves are outcomes of underlying ideological shifts, making causal claims problematic. I thus construct an instrument for the stock of Confederate monuments based on transportation costs to a quasi-monopolist producer and the years in which it was in business. (...)