Another Confederate monument has been issued removal in the wake nationwide protests surrounding George Floyd’s death and the fight for racial equality.
What We Know:
- The 30-foot obelisk statue is located in the Atlanta suburb of Decatur and has been ordered for relocation by a DeKalb County judge because the city argues it has become a threat to public safety during protests. It was issued for removal by June 26 and to be placed in storage until further notice. The relocation was witnessed by a crowd of people who chanted, “Take it down! Take it down!”
- Judge Clarence Seeliger says, “The Confederate obelisk has become an increasingly frequent target of graffiti and vandalism, a figurative lightning rod for friction among citizens, and a potential catastrophe that could happen at any time if individuals attempt to forcibly remove or destroy it.” He says the point of the removal is to not protect the public but to protect the obelisk.
- George Floyd’s death and the protests following have prompted many people and city leaders to take down Confederate statues which many say are racist symbols or America’s dark legacy of slavery.
- Other statues that have been removed include:
- Virginia: Confederate President Jefferson Davis was removed in Richmond.
- Kentucky: Confederate soldier John Breckenridge Castleman’s monument was removed in the heart of downtown Louisville.
- Florida: A 122-year-old statue that honored fallen Confederate soldiers was removed. The mayor announced all Confederate monuments would be removed.
- Tennessee: Edward Carmack, a former U.S. senator and newspaper owner who was known for attacking civil rights advocates, was removed.
The Conderate monument was placed in the square in 1908 and holds the name “The Lost Cure”. It was placed the same year the Georgia legislature passed an amendment that didn’t allow African Americans to vote.
