Mellon launches $250M project to remake American monuments

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — At a time of intense scrutiny in America over who is commemorated in public parks or in front of courthouses, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is spending $250 million over five years to change how history is expressed in public spaces. The ‘Monuments Project,’ as it’s being called, will help build new monuments or memorials, add context to existing ones and relocate others. A Philadelphia-based group called Monument Lab is the first beneficiary. They’ll receive $4 million. With the money they plan to conduct an audit of monuments across the country as well as set up field offices in ten states.