A large bronze statue of the late civil rights icon leader and Georgia congressman John Lewis was installed Friday, at the very spot where a contentious monument to the confederacy stood for more than 110 years in the town square before it was dismantled in 2020.
Lewis was known for his role at the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement and urged others to get in “good trouble” for a cause he saw as vital and necessary.
In DeKalb County where the Confederate monument stood for more than a century, protesters have invoked “good trouble” in calling for the swift removal of the obelisk.
from onlookers in Decatur, Georgia, who were kept at a safe distance by sheriff’s deputies.
The statue of Lewis will be officially unveiled on Aug. 24.
On Friday, a massive bronze statue of Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis was placed in the town square, marking the exact location of a controversial monument to the Confederacy that was removed in 2020 after standing for more than 110 years.
As the highly regarded sculptor Basil Watson watched attentively, work crews carefully set the 12-foot (3.77-meter) statue in its proper position.
As he helped with the installation, Watson remarked, “It’s exciting to see it going up and exciting for the city because of what he represents and what it’s replacing.”.
Lewis, who was well-known for his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, encouraged others to “get in good trouble” for a cause he believed in being essential and necessary. Protesters have called for the expeditious removal of the Confederate monument in DeKalb County, where it has stood for more than a century, using the phrase “good trouble.”.
When the stone obelisk was raised with straps from its base in 2020, spectators in Decatur, Georgia, yelled, “Just drop it!” while sheriff’s deputies kept a safe distance away. In 1908, the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected the obelisk.
After the deadly 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, organizations like Hate Free Decatur and the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights have been advocating for the monument’s removal.
After George Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police, the monument was one of many across the nation that turned into focal points for demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality. Then, claiming that the monument posed a threat to public safety due to frequent vandalism and graffiti, the city of Decatur petitioned a Georgia judge to order its removal.
August is the official unveiling date for the Lewis statue. 24.
