A towering 12-foot bronze statue of the late civil rights icon and Georgia congressman John Lewis now stands proudly in the town square of Decatur, Georgia, replacing a Confederate monument that was removed after more than 110 years. The statue, created by celebrated sculptor Basil Watson, was installed on Friday, marking a significant transformation for a space that once symbolized division.
The new statue occupies the exact spot where a Confederate obelisk, erected in 1908 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, stood until it was dismantled in 2020 following widespread calls for its removal. The obelisk had become a flashpoint for protests against racial injustice and police brutality, with activists frequently gathering to demand its removal. These efforts intensified after the tragic events in Charlottesville in 2017 and the nationwide protests following George Floyd’s death in 2020.
During the installation, Watson, who meticulously crafted the tribute to John Lewis, expressed both excitement and pride. “It’s inspiring to see this tribute going up, especially given what it represents for the city and the shift it signifies in our collective history,” Watson remarked.
John Lewis, a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement and a longtime advocate for social justice, was known for urging people to engage in “good trouble” to challenge injustice. His legacy resonates strongly in DeKalb County, where activists invoked his famous phrase as they fought for the removal of the Confederate monument. Their persistence led to the monument’s removal amidst cheers and chants of “Just drop it!” from onlookers in June 2020.
For years, local organizations like the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights and Hate Free Decatur led the charge to have the Confederate monument taken down, arguing that it represented a painful reminder of the South’s history of racial oppression. The city of Decatur supported these efforts, citing repeated incidents of vandalism and graffiti that had turned the monument into a public safety concern.
The John Lewis statue is set to be officially unveiled on August 24, cementing a new chapter for the town square. The shift from a symbol of Confederate nostalgia to one honoring a champion of civil rights marks a powerful statement about Decatur’s evolving identity and commitment to inclusivity.
