A Georgia metropolis is changing a Accomplice monument with a statue of civil rights hero John Lewis

For 112 years, a 30-foot obelisk stood in front of the courthouse in suburban Atlanta, Decatur.

Erected by the United Daughters of the Confederation, he hinted that the civil war was about state rights and the “honor of the South” rather than the root cause: slavery.

This structure was finally dismantled last year. And in his place, officials are now planning to erect a memorial to honor the late John Lewis, a man who fought for civil rights all his life.

It is the final chapter in a year-long struggle the city has waged to get rid of this symbol in its town square. a symbol it viewed as the dark legacy of slavery.

Decatur is a liberal enclave in the predominantly African-American county of DeKalb.

But it also lies in a state that passed a law to protect Confederate Monuments in 2019, stating that they honor history and heritage.

First came the badge

According to state law, officials in the district of DeKalb first installed a bronze plaque next to the obelisk in order to counteract the narrative she had put forward. The 184 word statement didn’t shred any words.

The memorial, it was said, “strengthened white supremacy and flawed history.”

“This memorial and the like were also created to intimidate African Americans,” it added.

That was how things stayed until last year America, forced by the assassination of George Floyd, began to delve deeply into race and injustice.

Confederate monuments collapsed city after city.

Then came the distance

When protests rocked the nation, Decatur argued the memorial had become a threat to public safety. A judge agreed.

“The Confederate Obelisk has become an increasingly common target of graffiti and vandalism, a figurative lightning rod for friction among citizens, and a potential catastrophe that can occur anytime individuals attempt to forcefully remove or destroy it” said Judge Clarence Seeliger a decision last June.

The purpose of the removal is not to prevent public display, but “is instead an appropriate measure to reduce a public nuisance and protect the obelisk,” he added.

He ordered it to be removed and stored until further notice.

Days later, a large crane was pulling the obelisk down as the crowd chanted, “Take it down! Take it down! ”Others applauded.

Next comes the tribute

This week, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to honor Lewis with a memorial in front of the courthouse where the obelisk stood.

Lewis, a towering civil rights figure and longtime US Congressman, died last July after a six month battle with cancer.

“John was a giant of a man with a humble heart,” Commissioner Davis Johnson said in a statement. “He didn’t meet strangers and he really was a man who loved people and who loved his country, which he represented very well.

“He deserves this honor.”

Details of the design and installation of the monument were not disclosed.