The Battle for America’s Memory: Lessons from MOCA and The Brick’s “Monuments”
How NOMMO interprets the cultural civil war unfolding in America’s art spaces — and what these monuments reveal about who we remember and why.
“Unmanned Drone,” Kara Walker, The Brick, 2025
This Autumn, NOMMO attended Monuments, the Museum of Contemporary Art’s and The Bricks’ sweeping exhibition across Los Angeles, CA, that examined the Confederate mindset and its long shadow over the American imagination. Spanning the Geffen Contemporary and The Brick, the exhibition traced how the legacy of enslavement, Confederate mythology, and the “Lost Cause” narrative continue to shape the nation’s understanding of itself.
For NOMMO, Monuments was not only a study of history but a mirror for the present. The presentation revealed how symbols of the Confederacy, whether in bronze, marble, granite, cast zinc, film, or media, have long reinforced myths that normalize white supremacy under the banners of heritage and patriotism, many recently toppled by the civic protests from 2020.
At the Geffen, the scale and candor of the exhibition’s presentation were both staggering and sobering. Installations featuring retellings from D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation and portraits glorifying the Ku Klux Klan forced audiences to face the violence embedded in American cultural memory. For Black viewers, the experience could be deeply triggering. Yet, within that discomfort lies power: the power to name and dismantle the myths that have defined American life for centuries.
For Black audiences, Monuments invites both pain and affirmation. It acknowledges the distortion of our histories while highlighting how Black contemporary artists, such as Karon Davis, Hank Willis Thomas, and Kara Walker, among others, reclaim public space through reinterpretation and imagination. Kara Walker’s reinterpretation of a Confederate monument in "Unmanned Drone" at The Brick effectively transforms trauma into testimony. This work asserts that America's monumental landscape has long reflected its racial hierarchies. It highlights the importance of rewriting these disrupted truths and myths in a significant way to engage in a cultural contest against the narratives rooted in apartheid.
White audiences, too, appeared visibly unsettled and intrigued by the exhibition at both locations. Many encountered, perhaps for the first time, how little the Civil War and Reconstruction are taught in American schools. Studies show that fewer than 8 percent of U.S. high school seniors identify slavery as the central cause of the Civil War, and fewer than half study Reconstruction at all. This educational gap sustains a selective national memory, where Confederate heroes are still honored more often than those who fought for freedom and democracy in the Union, especially the formerly enslaved Africans. Reports from 2022 to 2025 indicate that over 2,000 public symbols of the Confederacy remain standing across the U.S., including monuments, markers, schools, parks, and street names.
Exhibitions like Monuments help fill that void. They position museums as sites of civic accountability rather than aesthetic distance. The inclusion of works such as Hank Willis Thomas’s "A Suspension of Hostilities," a homage to the Duke of Hazzard’s car, which critiques pop culture’s casual embrace of Confederate symbols, underscores how these myths seep into everyday American life, specifically, America’s living rooms.
A Suspension of Hostilities, 2019 by Hank Willis Thomas
As our founder, chief curator, and historian, Tyree Boyd-Pates, reflected while viewing the exhibition, we are living through what can only be described as a cultural civil war. Inspired by Ta-Nehisi Coates’s We Were Eight Years in Power and The Message, Tyree noted that this cultural conflict is fought not through cannons or muskets, but through media, monuments, censored books, and the meaning itself. Each cultural battlefield, whether in galleries, classrooms, or public debates, mirrors past skirmishes and foreshadows future ones. The stakes are no longer just historical; they are existential, and that battleground is unfolding as we speak.
For NOMMO, Monuments affirms why cultural strategy matters. It demonstrates that the contest over national identity is not abstract; it is visual, emotional, and ongoing. The myths of the Confederacy have not disappeared; they have evolved into new forms. To confront them requires more than artistic interpretation. It demands collective reeducation and a willingness to build new monuments that honor truth, resilience, and the unfinished project of American freedom.
As Los Angeles continues its own reckoning with race and remembrance in preparation for the 34th anniversary of the LA Uprising in 2026, Monuments offers a blueprint for how museums and cultural institutions can become active agents in shaping public memory. It challenges us to ask three key questions: What monuments still exist within our periphery, and which deserve to be toppled or reimagined? How can we ensure that the next generation inherits symbols of liberation rather than domination?
In this moment of cultural fracture and the reinstallation of toppled Confederate monuments by our federal administration, MOCA and The Brick’s Monuments remind us that the stories we preserve determine the futures we imagine. The war for America’s memory is not behind us; it is happening right now, in the galleries, classrooms, and creative spaces where truth and myth still collide.
Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee Monument
Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee Monument
NOMMO Leads a Conversation on Culture, Creativity, and Community in Los Angeles with Nike, Patta, and Union
This September, NOMMO Cultural Strategies led a landmark art panel in Los Angeles, bringing together artists, founders, and cultural leaders to explore the intersection of culture, creativity, and community. In partnership with Nike, Patta, and Union, the event highlighted how creative leaders cultivate resilient communities and maintain ownership of their work even when traditional institutions fall short.
This September, NOMMO Cultural Strategies led a landmark art panel in Los Angeles, bringing together artists, founders, and cultural leaders to explore the intersection of culture, creativity, and community. In partnership with Nike, Patta, and Union, and live broadcast by Oroko Radio, the event showcased how creative leaders foster resilient communities and maintain ownership of their work, even when traditional institutions fall short.
Tyree Boyd-Pates, NOMMO’s founder, moderated the panel featuring Justin Boone, Jae Bella, and Ron Holden Jr. The conversation centered on Patta’s DN8 in Los Angeles, the DNA of creative practice, and the role of community in driving meaningful cultural impact.
Exploring Origin Stories
Panelists were asked when they first fell in love with their medium, whether it was coffee, surfing, fashion, or design. Each shared how curiosity and passion led to a lifelong dedication to their craft. These stories humanized the creative process and emphasized the importance of community-driven art in Los Angeles.
Building Community
The panel examined how to define and build community, particularly in situations where formal institutions fail. Panelists highlighted pillars such as shared values, trust, and reciprocity. The discussion reinforced that strong creative communities provide support, inspiration, and sustainability for artists and founders.
Understanding Creative DNA
Building on Patta DN8’s cultural focus, Tyree asked panelists to share the DNA of their creative practices. Responses emphasized authenticity, storytelling, and cultural roots as foundational elements. Each panelist demonstrated how Los Angeles creatives embed art and culture into their personal and professional identities.
Creativity as Athleticism
Panelists discussed creativity as a form of athleticism. The conversation highlighted the discipline, stamina, and focus required to consistently produce impactful work, demonstrating that creative practice demands endurance comparable to that of sports.
Wisdom for Sustaining Creative Practice
To conclude, the panelists provided guidance on sustaining a creative identity and fostering resilient communities. Key themes included intentionality, authenticity, and prioritizing community care, providing guidance for creatives navigating brand partnerships and cultural leadership.
Led by NOMMO Cultural Strategies, this art panel in Los Angeles centered on community-focused creativity and cultural leadership. The discussion highlighted how thoughtful facilitation and intentional dialogue can foster stronger connections among culture, creativity, and community.
For creatives and cultural leaders aiming to build resilient communities and protect their creative voices, the panel shared valuable insights, inspiration, and strategies that are applicable well beyond Los Angeles.
You can read more about NOMMO’s previous panels here and discover more about their consulting services.
