Distasteful. That's the best way to describe it.

Pro-Confederacy supporters gathered in Charleston, S.C., Monday evening to attend a "Secession Ball," commemorating the 150th anniversary of the state's decision to secede from the United States of America.

What's the cause for celebration? Dredging up the bondage of black men and women as slaves? Applauding the decision to break apart from the nation and bring about a war rather than using the political process and laws to address differences?

While the root causes of the Civil War are complicated, historians agree they included states' rights, slavery and political and economic considerations, with slavery influencing the other three.

Organizers said the ball and other events planned over the next four years are designed to preserve the history and legacy of the South's citizen soldiers, who exhibited bravery and tenacity in protecting their property and beliefs.

But even 150 years later, wounds from the Civil War still ache. Members of the Charleston NAACP conducted a peaceful protest outside Monday's gala, saying the state's secession is a part of its history, but having a ball to celebrate an episode associated with preserving slavery is insulting. It's that, and inflammatory, too.

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley criticized the event, organized by the Confederate Heritage Trust and sponsored by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, calling it "the opposite of unifying." When Mayor Riley said the Civil War was fought over slavery, he was heckled.

The Civil War ended in 1865. Some in the South haven't accepted that yet.