Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause

Seidule explicitly states that linking the history of racism to his own biography will help to convince those who might otherwise resist hearing that history. Do you think it’s a good strategy? Why or why not?

Pick one or two chapters and examine how Seidule links his life story to the ideas about racism that he wants to teach.

Opponents of Seidule accuse him of using contemporary standards to judge historical figures who occupied a different political and moral environment. Evaluate the charge. How do you think Seidule would respond?