The Statue of Liberty is one of the most famous and recognizable images of freedom in the modern world and a cherished national icon of the United States. My address will consider an important yet usually unacknowledged part of the statue’s history—its role as a racial symbol. Looking at both the statue’s origins in France and its history as a public monument in America, I will explore its broader significance to the racialized nature of freedom in the modern world.

The presidential address will take place on Friday, January 5, 2018, at 5:30–7:00 p.m. in the Marriott Wardman Park’s Marriott Ballroom Salon 3.

Tyler Stovall is president of the AHA.

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