Last Monday, we all stopped to recognize Memorial, or Decoration, Day.
In the process of research for his 2001 book, "Race and Reunion," Yale Historian David Blight stumbled into the story of the first Decoration Day, just weeks after the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox.

For Blight, who focuses on the Civil War era with a specialty in the history of memory, understanding what happened to that origin story is critical to understanding the contemporary argument over what should be the fate of Confederate memorials.
David Blight recently joined "Cincinnati Edition" to discuss the origins of Memorial Day and our country's changing attitudes toward Confederate memorials.
Tune in to "Cincinnati Edition" June 4 at 1 p.m. to hear this segment.