BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
A monument honoring the life and work of civil rights icon John Lewis was unveiled in Decatur, Georgia, marking a major step in confronting America’s racial past. For more than a century, a Confederate obelisk stood in the square where the new memorial now sits. This change represents a significant shift in the narrative around public memorials in the South.
The 16-foot-tall artwork, designed by artist Basil Watson, was erected before its official unveiling on Saturday, August 18th. “It’s exciting to see it going up, and exciting for the significance of what it represents and what it’s replacing,” Watson said during the installation, emphasizing the new statue’s symbolic weight.
Symbolism and significance
Nearly four years have passed since Decatur officials dismantled the Confederate monument, an obelisk 30 feet tall that the Daughters of the Confederacy constructed in 1908. Now, the John Lewis statue stands proudly in its place. The obelisk was removed in June 2020, after a nationwide wave of racial justice protests in response to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The removal of the Confederate monument, long regarded as a symbol of tyranny, made way for a commemoration that honors a heritage of courage and justice.
Watson’s sculpture represents John Lewis holding his hands over his heart, a gesture of love that he was known for. This image encapsulates the heart of Lewis’ approach to action, which was based on nonviolence and compassion, even in the face of severe opposition.
Honoring the legacy of the civil rights movement
John Lewis, who died in July 2020 at the age of 80 from pancreatic cancer, was a towering figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. As a teenage activist, Lewis organized sit-ins against segregation in the Jim Crow South and was infamously beaten during the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, which became known as “Bloody Sunday.”
Lewis was elected to Congress in 1987 and remained a staunch civil rights hero until his death. The choice to memorialize him in Decatur, replacing an emblem of division with one of unity and love, symbolizes a greater social movement toward recognizing and commemorating the efforts of individuals who battled for equal rights.
