A large bronze statue of civil rights icon and Georgia congressman John Lewis was installed in Decatur, Georgia, where a Confederate monument stood for over 110 years before being dismantled in 2020. The 12-foot-tall statue was gently placed in the town square by work crews as sculptor Basil Watson supervised the process. Lewis was known for his role in the Civil Rights Movement and his call to get in “good trouble” for important causes.
The removal of the Confederate monument was met with protests and calls from groups like the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights and Hate Free Decatur, who had been pushing for its removal since the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville. The monument became a flashpoint for protests over racial injustice following George Floyd’s death, leading to the city of Decatur seeking a court order for its removal due to public safety concerns.
The statue of Lewis serves as a significant replacement for the Confederate monument, symbolizing his legacy and the ongoing fight for civil rights. The statue will be officially unveiled on August 24, commemorating Lewis’s contributions to the movement for equality and justice.
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