As seen in Charleston, South Carolina and more recently in Charlottesville, Virginia, monuments that celebrate slave-owning heritage such as confederate flags and memorials honoring anti-abolitionists have become contentious subjects, leading to outrage and violence. For some, these controversial symbols represent racial oppression; for others, their heritage, turning historic landscapes into a stage for the ongoing conversation about race and inequality in America.  Unlike France, the United States has yet to officially acknowledge slavery as a crime against humanity or to erect slave memorials that pay homage to the victims.