Leon F. Litwack and David W. Blight both co-sign letter to President Obama

Leon F. Litwack co-signed the letter to President Obama and sent me a letter thanking me for undertaking the effort to write Obama.

His historical writing is of landmark importance in the history of America. If you haven't read his books, I recommend you do. Been in the Storm So Long and Trouble in Mind are two of his books that I strongly recommend.

David W. Blight is also an author of great importance. If you haven't read his books, I recommend that you do. Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory and Frederick Douglass' Civil War: Keeping Faith in Jubilee are two books I strongly recommend.

Having both these persons as co-signers is just amazing. I am humbled.

I am still working on gathering signatures. I mail the letter May 2nd, but I will be still gathering co-signatures and will fax the letter with the additional signatures to the white house Wednesday prior to Memorial day.

I am not successful this year, I will write a letter in 2011, 2012, and until a President stops sending a wreath to the Arlington Confederate memorial.

In 2009 I wrote a letter focused on the history of the Arlington Confederate monument and its white supremacist and neo-Confederate meanings. In 2010, I wrote a letter where sending a wreath is part of a wider pattern by which the federal government enables neo-Confederacy.

For 2011 I will take up another theme. During the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War I will have a letter for each year until a president decides to stop sending the wreath.

In 2011 I will be in a much better position to get a hearing for my letter than this year or last year.