Why people still reenact the Civil War 160 years later

Why are people still reliving the Civil War — 160 years later? In Sandersville, Georgia, Civil War reenactors say they’re preserving history — but their work sits at the center of ongoing debates about Southern identity, race and how America remembers its past. The AJC's Koralie Barrau spent a day with longtime organizer Stacy Williford and Frederick Douglass reenactor John H. Anderson Jr. about why they do this, what it means to them and how they respond to criticism around Confederate symbolism and the Confederate flag. Their perspectives reveal why this history is still being debated today — and why it’s not as simple as it seems. Watch the full Southern identity episode of "Curiosities of the South" now on the AJC's YouTube channel — and subscribe for more in-depth stories shaping the region. Credits: AJC | Getty | New York Public Library

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AJC | June 30, 2026
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