Monumental: Oscar Dunn and His Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana, Paperback

Monumental tells, for the first time, the incredible story of Oscar James Dunn, a New Orleanian born into slavery who became America's first Black lieutenant governor and acting governor. A champion of universal suffrage, civil rights, and integrated public schools, Dunn fought for radical change during the early years of Reconstruction in Louisiana, a post-Civil War era rife with corruption, subterfuge, and violence.

A graphic history informed by newly discovered primary sources, Monumental resurrects, in vivid detail, Louisiana and New Orleans after the Civil War--and presents an iconic American life that never should have been forgotten. Contextual essays and a map and timeline add layers of depth to the narrative. Monumental is a story of determination, scandal, betrayal, and how one man's principled fight for equality and justice may have cost him everything.

About author(s):

Brian K. Mitchell is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Barrington S. Edwards is an award-winning teacher and artist and a publisher of comics and graphic media. Nick Weldon is Associate Editor at the Historic New Orleans Collection.