DECATUR, Ga. — DeKalb County Commissioners have been working to move a Confederate monument out of the Decatur Square, but until they can find a suitable place, they'll settle for a sign calling it racist.
The commissioners voted back in October, by a 6-1 margin, to move the monument to another site, likely a graveyard or a museum. So far, the statue hasn't budged.
The county's website explains it like this: "While it remains the adopted policy to move the Confederate monument, the County has been unable to find a suitable location."
State law indicates the 30-foot statue cannot be destroyed, hidden or placed into storage.
So for now, the county has decided the next best thing is to erect a sign for the monument.
"We thought it would be appropriate to contextualize the monument while it is there so people would have an understanding of what the real history is of these monuments," District 6 Councilwoman Kathie Gannon said. "We commissioned a group of historians to do the research and to come up with a statement that explains why it's there and what it really stands for."
The sign would read:
"In 1908, this monument was erected at the DeKalb County Courthouse to glorify the 'lost cause' of the Confederacy and the Confederate soldiers who fought for it. It was privately funded by the A. Evans Camp of Confederate Veterans and the Agnes Lee Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Located in a prominent public space, its presence bolstered white supremacy and faulty history, suggesting that the cause for the Civil War rested on southern Honor and States Rights rhetoric—instead of its real catalyst—American slavery. This monument and similar ones also were created to intimidate African Americans and limit their full participation in social and political life of their communities. It fostered a culture of segregation by implying that public spaces and public memory belonged to Whites. Since State law prohibited local governments from removing Confederate statues, DeKalb County contextualized this monument in 2019. DeKalb County officials and citizens believe that public history can be of service when it challenges us to broaden our sense of boundaries and includes community discussions of the victories and shortcomings of our shared histories."
The county has allocated $3,000 for the sign and officially approved it Tuesday morning.
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