Statement on the Legislation Addressing Stone Mountain Park and Confederate Memorials
DATE: February 3, 2021
CONTACT: Gabrielle Rogers, media@stonemountainaction.org
Statement by Dennis Collard, Stone Mountain Action Coalition Co-Founder, at the press conference held at the Georgia Capitol on February 3, 2021.
Stone Mountain Park is a place of natural wonder, beauty and recreation. Yet, its reputation and identity as a Confederate memorial make it a source of controversy, protest and violence.
The Stone Mountain Action Coalition enthusiastically supports House Bills 237 and 238, sponsored by Representatives Billy Mitchell, Shelley Hutchinson, Sandra Scott, Kim Schofield, Gregg Kennard and Erica Thomas. These Bills, when signed by Governor Kemp, will allow us to begin the work that we must do to liberate Stone Mountain Park from the Confederacy.
To those, like Stone Mountain Memorial Association CEO Bill Stephens and Board Chair Ray Smith, who claim that their hands are tied by the law - we respectfully disagree. But House Bills 237 and 238 will, beyond any doubt, free the Stone Mountain Memorial Association’s hands to do the right thing for the people of Georgia. The status quo is no longer in line with Georgia values or who we are as a state.
To those who oppose progress, healing and transformation at Stone Mountain Park and to those who might be undecided about change at the Park - we say this - we are not here to erase or re-write history. We are focused on what Stone Mountain Park means to Georgia, today.
When white supremacists rally, riot, threaten and destroy, Confederate flags and symbols are their chosen banners. Yet those symbols fly high and are embedded across Stone Mountain Park. The very same symbols that were carried into the U.S. Capital by insurrectionists on January 6.
Museums are the places for symbols of the past. Cemeteries are where we honor the dead. Stone Mountain Park was not created to honor the dead of war. It was created as a political statement, at the urging of a segregationist governor, to directly challenge Brown v. Board of Education and the birth of the Civil Rights Movement. It is no coincidence that the Park officially opened on April 14, 1965 – the 100th anniversary to the day of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
State Parks are places for all citizens to enjoy. Not places to glorify the insidious idea of white supremacy now, or the confederate ideology of the past, that embraced slavery, and caused a war that resulted in cataclysmic suffering and death.
In its current form, Stone Mountain Park is a modern tribute to the Confederacy. No Georgian should have to walk under flags of the Confederacy simply to use the trail that leads to the top of Stone Mountain. No public park should serve to glorify those who fought for slavery.
The time for the people of Georgia to reclaim their Park has come. We know that the way forward is finding common ground. This should not be a political issue. We all want future generations of Georgians to look back and say that - when it was time to make difficult decisions - we did the right thing. That is our common ground.
And so, we urge all Georgians, including all of the elected officials who serve under this gold dome, no matter what their political party, to support House Bills 237 and 238.
About the Stone Mountain Action Coalition
The Stone Mountain Action Coalition is an advocacy network of concerned citizens, political leaders, community organizations, faith-based groups and businesses who are dedicated to supporting constructive solutions and ideas that reflect a new, shared vision for the Stone Mountain Park. The Coalition is advocating for short and long-term changes to help build a path forward by developing a community-driven approach to transform the park into a more inclusive, and economically sustainable destination.
For more information visit: www.stonemountainaction.org
Media contact: Gabrielle Rogers, media@stonemountainaction.org