ATLANTA — Around the country, protests and rallies have taken place, calling for the removal of Confederate monuments.
In Georgia, the Atlanta NAACP chapter worked to denounce these statues as well. Now, with their new website, Invisible Hate, Chapter President Richard Rose said they’re doing more than denouncing, but they also want to educate.
“It’s about expression, freedom of expression,” said Rose.
He said the chapter has worked on the website for the last three years. The website has information on more than 700 Confederate monuments in the country.
Each one has its own page with a summary and links to more facts about the statue’s history. Users can share pictures and comments on the site as well as contact local representatives with thoughts about the statues.
“We expect that there will be even people who support the monuments and they’ll be able to do that but we’re hoping they get the rest of the information that enlightens them,” Rose said.
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Sheffield Hale, President and CEO of the Atlanta History Center, said when it comes to these monuments, education on its history is crucial, such as when and why certain monuments were erected.
“You want to be able to have discussions in a factual way about what happened without leading the witness or telling someone that they would be an idiot if they don’t believe what you’re about to tell them,” Hale said.
Rose said hopefully knowing the facts will encourage more open discussions and less divide.
“It is enlightening and it can be educational. If you put people in a box, you get more resistance. What we want is more openness. We want more discussion,” Rose said.