“Stone Mountain is not just a rock — it’s a billboard for white supremacy funded by the people it seeks to erase.”
The long-simmering debate over Stone Mountain’s massive Confederate carving — the largest Confederate monument in the world — has exploded once again into Georgia’s political spotlight. In May and June 2025, Black leaders, civil rights groups, and residents across Gwinnett and metro Atlanta have reignited public demands for the removal or full contextualization of the 90-foot-high carving that glorifies Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis.
A Monument to Oppression on Public Land
Etched into the side of a granite mountain just outside of Atlanta, the massive Confederate shrine remains one of the most visible, state-protected symbols of white supremacy in the U.S. — and it sits inside a taxpayer-funded Georgia state park.
Originally commissioned in the early 20th century during the rise of Jim Crow and Ku Klux Klan resurgence, the monument was completed in 1972, long after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Brown v. Board of Education.
Despite its brutal historical connotations, Stone Mountain Park continues to be marketed as a “family destination,” hosting laser shows, picnics, and Fourth of July fireworks under the looming shadow of Confederate leaders.
Voices Rise: “Tear It Down or Tell the Truth”
“We are not asking for erasure. We are demanding accuracy and dignity,” said Rev. Karen Wright of Gwinnett Faith for Justice, one of several speakers at a June 15 rally at the park entrance.
She, along with members of NAACP Georgia, Sons and Daughters of the Enslaved, and Stone Mountain Action Coalition, emphasized that it’s time for Georgia to “stop romanticizing treason.”
Key demands include:
- The removal of the Confederate carving OR the addition of a historically truthful interpretive installation that names the horrors of slavery, secession, and white supremacy.
- A permanent memorial to the enslaved Africans who were brutalized across Georgia and whose labor built much of the South’s wealth.
- Renaming of park trails, streets, and signs that currently honor Confederate themes.
Political Paralysis and Protecting Racism by Law
Efforts to change the monument face significant legal hurdles. In 2001, the Georgia state legislature passed a law protecting Confederate monuments, shielding Stone Mountain from removal. But critics argue that laws can be repealed — and that maintaining racist monuments in the 21st century is a moral failure.
“This is a mountain of shame, not pride,” said DeAndre Bell, a Lawrenceville-based teacher and activist. “Our tax dollars fund a lie. And we’re done with that.”
Culture, Resistance, and Youth Engagement
The renewed energy has inspired youth-led organizing, creative protests, and even a short film competition sponsored by Urban Mediamakers, challenging students to reimagine the Stone Mountain narrative.
“Art is our resistance, too,” said filmmaker Tiffany Johnson, who is producing a documentary titled Beyond the Rock: Truth and Memory in Georgia.
What Happens Next?
- Legislators sympathetic to the cause are quietly drafting a bill to amend the monument protection law, but acknowledge that change requires pressure and persistent organizing.
- Activists are planning a mass demonstration and freedom concert at the park for Labor Day Weekend 2025, encouraging Black Georgians and allies to reclaim the space and demand transformation.
Final Thought
Stone Mountain may be carved in stone, but Georgia’s legacy doesn’t have to be.
This is a moment of moral reckoning — for Gwinnett, for Georgia, for America. If we truly believe in liberty and justice for all, then we must stop celebrating the legacy of those who fought to deny both.
What’s Your Take?
Should the Confederate monument be removed, reimagined, or left untouched?
Share your thoughts or contribute an op-ed to Black Gwinnett Magazine at info@blackgwinnett.com.
