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business-process-reviews · 3 months ago

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City Planner Leonid Monosov: a Man Who Found His True Calling

They say that if you find your true calling, you will get the recognition you deserve. Leonid Monosov's biography is a proof of that. He devoted more than forty years of his life to the construction industry, went from an ordinary foreman to the CEO of a large conglomerate, restored many historical buildings, and developed modern residential complexes. His name holds an honorable place in the list of the most illustrious urban planners of modern Russia.

Leonid's success story can become a good guide for many young people.

Era of Construction

Leonid Monosov was born during the era of great construction, on March 2, 1958. These were times when the Soviet Union was rebuilding its cities after the Great Patriotic War, making them better, more spacious, and more comfortable. Builders erected beautiful high-rises and big factories, expanded avenues, and constructed giant enterprises. The era of large-scale residential construction was beginning; soon, Soviet citizens would start to move from barracks and communal apartments to five-story and then nine-story buildings and skyscrapers. Being a builder was considered a prestigious profession and many schoolchildren wanted to get into construction.

Moscow, where the boy moved from the Belarusian town of Mazyr in 1963, was undergoing particularly rapid transformation. The child, who lost his mother at the age of five, was raised by his father. After arriving in the capital of the USSR, they made their home in the old, cozy Moscow district of Sokolniki. There, in 1965, the boy went to first grade. His School No. 315 was not considered a specialized school, but was known for its effective methods in teaching physics and mathematics. Young Monosov had a penchant for these sciences, so he had no trouble getting into an engineering university later.

Even as a child, he was interested in construction, and his father supported him in this. When the time came, he chose to study civil and industrial engineering.

Finding a Professional Path

Leonid Monosov successfully passed his finals, defended his thesis at the University of Railway Engineering, and got a chance to work for one of the most prestigious construction organizations in the Soviet Union. The job distribution system of that era rewarded those with better academic achievements by sending them to the biggest construction sites in the country.

And so, in 1980, Monosov became one of the 70 thousand employees of Glavmospromstroy. Here are some hallmarks to give you a better understanding of this organization:

• The main company held the authority over 19 general construction and specialized trusts (corporate groups) and more than 130 construction departments. • Glavmospromstroy built public buildings, research institutes, and factories. • In the 1970-1980s, it spent over 500 million Soviet rubles annually. • Among its most famous projects were the reconstruction of the Kremlin and Red Square, the construction of the TASS building, the Space Pavilion in VDNKh Park, the Sheremetyevo air terminal, facilities for 1980 Olympics, as well as the Frezer, Stankolit, and Kalibr factories.

Leonid Monosov did not get to participate in the construction of Olympic venues, as he joined Glavmospromstroy only in 1980. But there were still many large-scale, historically important projects ahead, which gave him a chance to prove himself.

Career Steps: Persistent Ascent

1980 and 1981 were important years in the life of the builder. Leonid began his career and started a family — he got married and became a father. His eldest child, son Andrey, was born at the end of 1981.

The following decade was one continuous ascent to the top. Leonid Monosov's career had no sharp and unexpected "ups," which could be considered "luck." His journey can be perfectly described by the phrase "success is based on persistence, not luck." He steadily moved up the classic career ladder in the construction industry — foreman, supervisor, site manager... Each new step was the result of his evolving skills, growing organizational experience, and hard work at a previous level.

In the late 80s, he became head of one of the company's nineteen trusts. This was big success and recognition of his expertise and management skills. The next achievement was the position of deputy CEO of the entire Glavmospromstroy.

The Soviet Era Lies Behind — the Market Era is Ahead

At the end of 1990, the organization, where Leonid Monosov worked for many years, ceased to exist in its previous form. However, the story of the giant construction corporation did not end there. Glavmospromstroy's successor was a joint-stock company (a new type of enterprise for the country). The name remained almost the same, losing only the "glav" part.

Mospromstroy JSC dived into the market economy. Leonid Monosov managed the changes constructively — in his own words, "he took them in stride." After all, the main focus of the company remained unchanged; it continued to work on important public projects and build new landmarks in Moscow. Whatever the era — work must go on!

Nevertheless, the urban planner remembers the Soviet period with positive feelings and calls it a time of "equality and fraternity." These were the years of his childhood, youth, budding career, conquered hardships, and first professional achievements.

Difficult, Unconventional, but Exciting!

The 1990s were also quite exciting. Mospromstroy worked with new technologies and executed many outstanding projects. Leonid Monosov remembers well the construction of the Third Ring Road in the capital, the restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and other large-scale construction events.

The tasks were often not only difficult, but also unconventional. This was the case with the restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which was entrusted to Mospromstroy. This church disappeared from the landscape of Moscow in 1931, during the time of militant atheism. Fundraising for the restoration began in 1988. Work began in 1994; by that time, the Moskva swimming pool, which was built in place of the destroyed cathedral, was no longer functioning.

The restoration involved using the original historical drawings that were preserved in the archives. However, as Leonid Monosov says, the builders used modern methods of construction. The infrastructure of the church complex was to be redesigned according to the best engineering achievements. It took considerable effort to combine all the requirements, but the results were fantastic.

In six years — in record time for such a project — the company built the upper and lower churches (the Cathedral of Christ the Savior itself and the Transfiguration Church), halls for important events, a museum, a refectory, and various utility spaces. One of the examples of combining original drawings and modern requirements was a two-level parking garage, which was incorporated into the overall infrastructure of the cathedral. The exterior of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, however, was indistinguishable from the photographs taken in the early 1900s.

The now main church of Russia solemnly opened its doors to visitors on December 31, 1999; it celebrated its first liturgy on Orthodox Christmas Day 2000. By this time, Monosov had left Mospromstroy. The year 1999 marked a new career stage for Leonid — he became CEO of another construction organization, an engineering company called Moskapstroy.

Life as a CEO

Moskapstroy JSC was also a major Moscow real estate developer. The company had a long and proud history of professional achievements. In the Soviet era, Moskapstroy was an important state organization and carried out complex urban planning tasks. At the turn of the 2000s, Leonid Monosov joined the company as CEO and poured all his energy, enthusiasm, and ambition into the business.

He brought in many ideas, which he did not wait to implement. For example, he created an investment and finance department in the company. As the market was experiencing a surge and constant growth in demand for modern apartments, Leonid turned Moskapstroy's focus to the construction of new residential areas. The company bid for urban planning contracts of any complexity. One of the business principles of the new CEO was to stand up to any challenge. Oftentimes, other developers chose to stay on the sidelines, shaking their heads and saying, "Too difficult!" Moskapstroy, on the other hand, readily got down to business and produced the required results.

Just like in his previous job, Monosov participated in memorable historic projects. What a life story to tell grandkids! (Speaking of, the city planner already has two). In 2005, Moskapstroy was tasked with the restoration of the Manege exhibition center, located at the very heart of Moscow, next to Red Square. The Manege, which was destroyed by a fire, was returned to the capital in record time.

That said, the main business focus of the company in the 2000s was housing construction. It was a time of rapid economic growth. The purchasing power of the population was improving. People wanted to live in comfort. They moved out of their old "khrushchevkas" with multigenerational households, bought larger homes, and even gave apartments to newlyweds. New citizens also tried to buy property in the metropolis. The market experienced a continuous increase in demand, which led to a construction boom.

During this period, Moskapstroy built 2.4 million square meters of real estate per year. Freshly built complexes welcomed their new residents. The company absorbed 300 billion rubles a year. It built entire neighborhoods on a turnkey basis; the main company and its structural divisions did all the work themselves, without involving third-party contractors. Designs were also developed within the company. The company's employees were responsible for selling apartments and renting out spaces as well.

By bringing all tasks into one fold, Leonid Monosov improved Moskapstroy's business performance and overall construction quality. This approach allowed the enterprise to control all work phases, which had a positive effect on the final results.

New Level: Investment

The next step in Leonid Monosov's biography was investing. He accumulated extensive experience, learned the ins and outs of the industry, and gained invaluable market insights. Knowing how to assess construction projects and having deep domain expertise, Leonid decided to focus on investing.

Since 2022, he has been the vice president of Moskapstroy-TN, a company specializing in investments in real estate development. The company directs investment flows to promising residential and commercial projects. Monosov considers the housing market to be the most promising segment, as the metropolis continues to expand and many people need new apartments.

The Moskapstroy-TN portfolio also includes commercial spaces, such as business centers and shopping malls. Its experts select projects based on multiple factors; they carefully analyze locations for residential and commercial property, surrounding infrastructures, and development trends in the area.

Family: the Son and Daughter of the Builder

Leonid raised two kids; he has a son and a daughter. Both followed finance and business paths and built successful careers. Both specialize in the construction sector. Not unlike their father, they started their careers from entry-level jobs. Son Andrey even got his first job on a construction site as a simple foreman to one day say, "Father, I made it on my own too!"

Let's take a look at the results:

● Andrey Monosov was born in 1981. He graduated from a construction university and started as a foreman in a big corporation. From 2003 to 2013, he persistently built his career, eventually getting to an executive role. His company executes construction projects in various regions of the country. The scope of the business is big; its builds around 2 million square meters of property annually. Andrey spends his free time playing sports, hunting, and raising his children.

● Alina Monosova was born in 1990. She graduated from MGIMO and spent a year as an exchange student in London. She worked on television, but did not stay there long; her teenage dreams of creativity were crashed by the boring routine of the calculating television industry. She built her career in the construction field, where she was involved in marketing, administration, and investment management.

Alina has never been afraid to change jobs and business areas. She rose to the position of vice president in one company, became chief investment officer in another, and then unexpectedly took up psychology. However, she is not interested in the commercial side of this science; Monosova sees it as a way of exploring the world and the depths of personality.

By now, Alina has achieved a work-life balance; she is fulfilling her business ambitions as an executive, while studying for a master's degree in health psychology and running a Telegram fashion blog as a hobby.

A Few Words about the Private Life of the Entrepreneur

Even in his sixties, Leonid Monosov is full of strength and energy. He works a lot, donates to charity, and enjoys spending time with his grandchildren. The businessman keeps his body in good shape and advises everyone to pay more attention to sports and other physical activities.

Monosov does not have much time for his hobbies, but sometimes he finds a day or two to go fishing. He loves nature and always gets a boosts of energy from being outdoors, away from the city noise.

#Leonid Monosov #Leonid Monosov Entrepreneur

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liquid-luck-00 · 4 years ago

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Who is Prince?

@maribatmarch-2k21 Day 25: School Dance

Ao3

~~~~~~~~~~

Years ago, Marinette and her Mother, Diana Prince, moved to Paris for her mother’s work on a historical reconstruction, so she was enrolled in College DuPont. Within a year she became the top student but seeing as she was chosen to be Ladybug, and that she was on call for both young hero teams meant she missed a lot of school. Fortunately, they chalked it up to travels with her mom, as they both used that excuse as it was mostly truth. The school allowed her to do a majority of her schooling online so long as she came in for her exams and practicals.

It was in her ninth year that some one figured out that the quiet girl sitting in the back that disappears randomly was the ever elusive Marinette Prince, but since she just went as Mari and she rarely spoke to anyone it became normal for her. It wasn’t until an Italian exchange student confronted her with it.

“You are Marinette Prince, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“You are a prodigy in the fashion industry!” The other girl commented with admiration.

“I am sometimes called that, yes.”

“Question, why does everyone in the school speak like you are an urban legend?”

“I don’t really know it might have to do with me being out often, or that I keep to myself, but I really don’t know.” She finished as she washed her hands.

“Why not just come out?”

Marinette just shrugged. “There is no need to.” She walked out of the bathroom.

- - -

The next few years Lila made it her mission to get Marinette into the spotlight.

Elect the girl to be class president.

She gets the seat but does the work independently, no one in the class any wiser.

Asks her to join them on a free day as a class.

She already has plans, or gets an emergency call, and can’t make it.

Signs her up for the student talent show.

She is out of the country, but she sends in her work for her classmates to model for her.

Everything she tried to get the girl the recognition she deserved was always a miraculous catastrophic failure.

But this this might just work.

“Alright class we need nominations for the Dance Court Royalty.” Miss Bustier cheerfully clapped from the front of the room.

“Oh, why don’t we nominate Adrien and Lila!” Rose shouted out excitedly. Most of the class murmured their agreement.

“You guys are so sweet, but I think maybe Marinette should be nominated instead.” Lila cooed her thanks. It’s not that she didn’t want to be nominated, she just didn’t do much. But she wasn’t blind to all the work the little blueinette put into their field trips, fundraisers, and dances.

“You want to nominate the girl who no one knows to be on the court. Why?” Alya asked from next to her.

This is something that she could not understand. She had been with this class for close to five years now and not one of them has put two and two together to get four yet. “Because if she wins, she’ll be forced to come out and we will finally know.” She did continue, “She works so hard as our president, her fundraisers, dances, and trips are always amazing. The only bad part is we don’t know her to thank her.” Lila reasoned. The class lapped up her reasoning and decidedly put down Marinette Prince and Adrien Agreste.

This has to get her to reveal herself. She has to be present to accept and she knows in advance and can’t plan her way out of this. An emergency could come up though. A small voice whispered in her head, but she ignored it.

- - -

Marinette couldn’t believe her luck; she was sitting in the back of the class when Lila supplied and nominated her. She didn’t have anything against the Italian. She was just confused why Lila was constantly and admittedly pushing her to come out to the class.

The fact that she was ahead in the polls just seemed to make her retreat further, but she would take this with grace.

She arrived at the dance in a pale silver blue dress that faded to a pale pink almost nude with long-sleeves and an illusion neckline. It was covered in a delicate embroidery of silver blossoms and branches. Gems are strategically placed to catch the light when she moved. The skirt wrapped around her and a slit ran up her right. A tule skirt trailed behind her, kitten heels in the same pale pink. Her hair draped in loose curls, over one shoulder. The dress

“You look stunning, Mari.” A voice spoke from next to her. She turned and there stood Adrien.

“You don’t look that bad yourself, Agreste.” Was her response, a small smile on her face.

“So, who is the lucky guy?”

“There is none.”

“Really?”

“Is it so surprising that a woman does not need a man to protect her?”

“That’s not… I mean… I didn’t.” He stammered.

Marinette walked away from the stammering blonde, hopefully he draws up his courage latter and comes and speaks with her.

After a while Miss Bustier took the stage. “Now to announce the King and Queen of the dance.” The entire student body turned towards her and paid rapt attention. “The crown for king goes to Adrien Agreste.” Adrien walked up to the stage and then he was crowned, light applause rang through the room. “Now for our queen, Marinette Prince.” She made her way up to the stage and was crowned as there was applause.

“FINALLY!!!!” a voice screamed out from the crowd; every head turned towards it. “it only took three years but FINALLY!!!!” Lila shouted from the crowd.

“Gurl, what are you talking about?” Alya asked breaking the tense silence.

“Mari is Marinette Prince; she is finally owning it.” She smiled ecstatically.

“Is this all you have wanted Lila?” Marinette asked from the stage.

“Yes!” she exclaimed.

“Well it seems your patience has been rewarded Lila.” The rest of the night went well, or as well as an Amazonian princess who wanted to be on a battlefield than dealing with teenagers.

~~~~~~~~~~

Permanent Taglist: @itsmeevie01 @adrestar @miraculouspenta @vixen-uchiha @animegirlweeb @jumpingjoy82 @thedragonbug@astoriaandroses @icerosecrystal @t1dwarrior-of-earth @moon5606 @zalladane

#maribat #dc x miraculous #dc x mlb #mlb x dc #miraculous x dc #ml marinette #lila rossi #Is this Lila redemption?

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fandom-star · 5 years ago

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Lou Sullivan

(Quick note: for most of this post, I use outdated terminology such as transsexual. This is because those are the terms used most frequently in the 70s and 80s. If that makes you uncomfortable, don't read this. If you can look past that for the sake of learning about an incredible transgender activist that shaped the history of the trans community, I urge you to read on.)

Lou Sullivan was born on the 16th of March 1951, and died of AIDS-related complications on March 2nd 1991.

He was the first transgender man to fully transition medically whilst being openly gay.

In his childhood and adolescence, Lou kept a journal. In this journal, he documented his thoughts of being a boy, his confusion growing up, his fantasies of being a gay man and his involvement in the music scene of Milwaukee, where he grew up. He wrote short stories, poems and diaries, which outlined his attraction to taking on male roles.

When he was fifteen (in 1966), he wrote in his journal: "I want to look like what I am but don't know what some one like me looks like. I mean, when people look at me I want them to think— there's one of those people […] that has their own interpretation of happiness. That's what I am."

In a special remembrance edition of FtM International's newsletter, one of Lou's friends in Milwaukee shared some of his memories of Lou. One of them was Lou's first haircut at a barber. After being told Lou wanted a 'male' haircut, the barber asked whether he was a boy or a girl. Lou told him, "That's none of your business! Cut my hair!"

[Photo: Lou, circa 1964. Black and white photo of Lou with shoulder-length hair, wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt and a leather page boy hat.]

By 1973, Lou identified as a female transvestite. This was when he first stepped into activism in the transgender community. He published an article called 'A Transvestite Answers a Feminist' in the Gay People's Union, followed by another article, 'Looking Towards Transvestite Liberation'.

In 1975, Lou began identifying as female-to-male transsexual. This meant he made the decision to move from Wisconsin to California to find more understanding and access hormones for his transition. His family had always been supportive of his identity, and also supported his move. He was given his grandfather's pocket-watch and a suit that his mother had tailored for him, telling the tailor that it was for her son.

Upon arriving in San Francisco, he was employed as a secretary at Wilson Sporting Goods Company. He was also employed as a woman, but he spent most of his time living as a gay man.

The next year, Lou began seeking sex-reassignment, but was turned down by gender clinics. This was because of his sexuality, which meant that his gender dysphoria was not considered legitimate because he would be transitioning from straight female to gay male.

[Photo: Lou, circa early-80s, in a garden. He is wearing a white vest and dark trousers. He is holding a small book and a pair of glasses.]

In 1979, Lou finally received hormone treatment after finding doctors and therapists sympathetic to his case.

The same year, he started volunteering at the Janus Information Facility, which was a gender dysphoria clearing house and referral service. It is now known as J2CP.

During this time, Lou also became involved with The Golden Gate Girls, a San Francisco area transsexual group, and managed to petition to add guys into their name, making them The Golden Gate Girls/Guys. From the July of 1979 until October in 1980, he edited their newsletter, which provided news and information for transvestites and transsexuals. It's been said that this transformed the group's network, because they could give support to people without them having to attend meetings due to the newsletters being circulated.

Lou had a double mastectomy in 1980, giving him the ability to begin living as a man full-time. He made this easier for himself by changing jobs, so that his co-workers would have no idea about his life as a woman.

In 1980, he also published his book 'Information for the Female to Male Cross Dresser and Transsexual'.

Also during the early 80s, Lou founded the Gay and Lesbian Historical Society (now known as the GLBT Historical Society). He helped to edit and publish the newsletter, leading him to start his own typesetting and word-processing business.

In 1986, Lou managed to complete his reassignment and received genital reconstruction surgery.

It was at this time that he also organised FTM International, a peer support group entirely dedicated to the support of female-to-male transsexuals and transvestites. It was the first of its kind, and is still active to this day, I believe.

[Photo: Lou, circa mid-80s. He is sat cross-legged on a bed, wearing suit trousers, a grey/blue shirt and a cream coloured tie. He is smiling at the camera.]

However, it was later on in 1986 that Lou was diagnosed as being HIV-positive. On the subject, Lou wrote:"I took a certain pleasure in informing the gender clinic that even though their program told me I could not live as a gay man, it looks like I'm going to die like one."

After this, Lou had himself and a therapist filmed having a conversation about his transition, his identity as a gay, transsexual man and his AIDS diagnosis, so that there would be documentation for people like him in the future. (I'll reblog with links to YouTube clips of this film.)

His work to make the process of accessing hormones and surgery for transition "orientation blind" eventually paid off towards the end of the 80s.

Lou dedicated the last years of his life to working with FtMs, the transgender community and the gay community.

His last published work was a biography of Jack Bee Garland.

[Photo: Lou, circa 1989. Black and white photo. He is wearing a white shirt with the top button undone and black suspenders. He looks frail compared to the previous photo, however, like the previous photo, he is smiling at the camera.]

Lou Sullivan dedicated the majority of his adult life to educating about transgender men, and how gender identity is separate from sexual orientation. He helped to transform the way transgender men, specifically gay transgender men, are perceived in America. He was a great activist who could have done so much more, but had already done a great deal of work in the thirty-nine years he had lived.

Lou Sullivan deserves so much recognition that he doesn't seem to get.

#transgender #transgender man #trans man #transgender history #trans history #lou sullivan #transgender activist #pride month #gay trans man #gay man #1970s #1980s #hiv aids #aids crisis #transgender community

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viralhottopics · 8 years ago

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Reconstruction Is Finally Getting The Historical Recognition It Deserves

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s base in Birmingham, Alabama. A bus station where segregationists attacked Freedom Riders. These civil rights sites of the 1960s, etched in black-and-white images in our memories, are naturals for selection as national monuments. Less obvious, but perhaps more powerful in our nations history, is President Barack Obamas designation of Beaufort, South Carolina, a cradle of Reconstruction.

AmidObamas last-minute flurry of executive orders and regulatory actions pardons, commutations, Arctic drilling bans Thursdays dedication of the Beaufort monument seemed to fall in the shadow of the other two dedicated that day: the motel that served as Kings headquarters in the final push for the Voting Rights Act and the Anniston, Alabama, Greyhound station where a bus was firebombed in 1961.

The monument in Beaufort commemorates a segment of the civil rights struggle that is far less prominent in American history.

Beauforts Reconstruction Era National Monument will commemorate this lesser-known period (about 1865 to 1877) following the Civil War. For instance, how many Americans know the name of Hiram Revels of Mississippi, the countrys first black senator? At a time when the black population of the American South was still struggling to come to terms with life in the post-emancipation era, Revels belonged to the wave of black men who sought and won office across the region. They won seats in the Senate, in the House of Representatives, in state legislatures, and in hundreds of local and municipal posts across the South.

(Reconstruction is the subject of a new Huffington Post podcast, produced with rapper Killer Mike, that will launch in the next few weeks. Sign up here to get an email when it drops.)

So why doesnt Reconstruction get much attention? If you take as your starting premise that mainstream history remains largely written by white Americans, that question isnt so hard to answer. There are few white heroes in this story (no Lyndon Johnsons), and there is no happy ending, no great civil rights legislation (not that survived, at least). The countrys (and arguably the worlds) first experiment in genuinely interracial democracy was strangled in its cradle or, given the decade-plus it survived, its childhood destroyed by a combination of political sabotage and terrorism. In the 1860s and 70s, groups like the Ku Klux Klan, the White Leagues, and the Redshirts arose and conducted campaigns of violence aimed at intimidating Republican politicians in the South, especially their attempts to build black political power.

You were taking your life in your hands by becoming a black political figure, says Columbia University history professor Eric Foner. This group of black political leaders suffered more violence, whether its murder, or arson of their homes or whippings, than any group of political leaders I can think of in American history. Whatever the acrimony of politics right now, you dont have armed men going after members of the legislature and whipping them or shooting them. Were not quite at that level yet. But they were in Reconstruction.

By the end of the 19th century, white dominance in the South (or home rule, as it was euphemistically called) had been restored. Jim Crow was the law of the land, and the country would not see large-scale black electoral participation until the civil rights movement of the mid-20th century. In many ways, the drought in black political power lasted even longer than that: When Tim Scott was elected in South Carolina in 2014, it was the first time Southern voters had sent an African-American to the Senate since 1881. (Senators in the 19th century were actually elected by state legislatures, not directly by voters, but you get the point.)

In recent months, Beaufort has mounted a vocal campaign to persuade Obama to designate a monument to Reconstruction there. Why Beaufort? The town and its environs occupy a unique place in 19th century history: In the fall of 1861, early in the Civil War, Beaufort County became one of the first places in the South to fall to the Union. Although it was precariously situated between Savannah and Charleston, two of the most important Confederate port cities, the concentration of black population in coastal Beaufort made it a hotbed of pro-Union sentiment, and the ideal location for Union naval forces seeking anchorage. Confederates and plantation owners had fled the region, leaving behind their homes, their land, and most importantly, their former slaves.

Over the next few years, the region bore witness to one of the most extraordinary untold chapters of American history. Black leaders and white abolitionists saw an opportunity to demonstrate to white society (especially to skeptical Northerners) that blacks were capable of citizenship: that they could participate in the free labor economy, establish their own educational institutions and live as any other members of society. Northern abolitionists ministers, teachers, doctors traveled to Beaufort County to lend their expertise. The endeavor came to be known as the Port Royal Experiment. Like the Reconstruction as a whole, it succumbed to political reaction; after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, Republicans began to lose their stomach for radical programs of land redistribution, and the Port Royal Experiment was abandoned.

Beaufort was also the birthplace of arguably the most incredible political figure of the Reconstruction era. Robert Smalls was born into slavery in 1839 and won national fame in 1862 when he commandeered a confederate naval vessel, and, under cover of darkness, piloted it out of Charleston harbor and delivered it to the Union. He ended up meeting with Lincoln and influencing his decision to allow black soldiers to serve in the Union Army. Smalls became the first black man to command a U.S. naval vessel. He then had a long career in Congress, with Beaufort as his political base. Many of the historic sites that will comprise the new monument relate to Smalls and his life.

Unfortunately, African-Americans havent always been in control of their stories, says Michael Boulware Moore. Moore is the president and CEO of the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. Hes also the great-great-grandson of Smalls. And so stories like Robert Smalls just havent gotten out. Now over the last 15-20 years, certainly more people know of him and his accomplishments. But I grew up in Boston, and I think about Paul Revere who performed a valiant, historical service but he didnt do anything close to what Robert Smalls did. But yet every child in this country learns about Paul Revere. I think [Smalls] still is under-exposed, but thats changing year by year.

I think for a lot of people, the story of Robert Smalls really hasnt fit their narrative, adds Moore. In the South to this day, there are pockets where Robert Smalls is persona non grata because he embarrassed the Confederacy, and they dont want to talk about it.

It took a very long time for Reconstruction to shake off its accumulated historical dust and assume a prominent place in the canon of American history. Its still not there, really, but the popular conception of that era has made strides since a century ago, when its image was the one given to us by D.W. Griffith in his silent epic The Birth of a Nation.In this view, Reconstruction was undertaken by vengeful Northerners as punishment for the Souths independence of spirit. The success of the Democratic Party in banishing the Radical Republicans from the South was a victory to be celebrated. But most tragically consequential was the image this school of historical thought gave of the eras black leaders. Black politicians were childlike, unintelligent, corrupt, and preoccupied only with their own enrichment. It posited too that northern Republican carpetbaggers cared nothing for the rights of blacks, and saw them only as pawns in their political campaign to subjugate the former Confederate states. Black political power, which during Reconstruction was substantial, was fundamentally illegitimate.

The whole idea that your former slaves were now passing laws which white people would have to obey was completely anathema to white Southerners, says Eric Foner. Foner is generally credited as one of the most important figures in the late 20th century Reconstruction revisionism that swept away the Birth of a Nationschool of thought, and he recently co-wrote a New York Times editorial arguing for the establishment of the Beaufort monument.

By the way, he adds, its not all that different from how so many white people view President Obama 150 years later. There are still people who cant accept the fact that hes actually an American and entitled to be president.

Theres only so much that a monument can do to affect peoples historical attitudes, but anyone who has lived or traveled in the American South knows that monuments honoring 19th century figures have a decidedly pro-Confederate slant. Perhaps the new monument in Beaufort will begin to reverse that trend.The removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse and the raging debate over removal of Confederate statues in New Orleans suggest that attitudes toward history may be changing. If current trends continue, we might be on the verge of a Robert Smalls/Reconstruction revival.

In a recent interview, the director of the 2016 feature film Free State of Jones suggested that Smalls story would make a good movie. For now, we can revel in watching the first black president establish a monument to his 19th century forebears in the heart of the former Confederacy.

CORRECTION:Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article said Freedom Riders were attacked by anti-segregationists. The attackers were segregationists.