Stone Mountain Park Unity Bill Supports Stone Mountain Memorial Association’s Plan to Meet the Needs of Georgians in the 21st Century
HB 277 Legislation Removes Government Mandates that the Public Park Serve as a Confederate Memorial and Sell Confederate Memorabilia
DATE: February 25, 2021
CONTACT: Gabrielle Rogers, media@stonemountainaction.org
STONE MOUNTAIN, GA - Stone Mountain Representative Billy Mitchell introduced the Stone Mountain Park Unity Bill (HB 277) to liberate Stone Mountain Park from Georgia’s Confederate government mandates. Specifically, the Unity Bill strikes down the current Georgia laws requiring the public park to serve as an official state-endorsed memorial to the Confederacy and that it sell Confederate memorabilia. This will remove any legal uncertainty of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association (SMMA) to fully pursue changes to address its prominent and prolific Confederate symbols. In addition to the nine-story Confederate carving, the Park has more than 10 streets and features named after Confederate and Ku Klux Klan figures and flies 4 Confederate flags over its popular trail to the summit.
In November 2020, SMMA Chair Ray Stallings Smith III charged the Park CEO, Bill Stephens, with “leading an effort with the responsibility of reviewing the various proposals, meeting with state and community leaders, consulting with experts and historians and other parties regarding a 21st century perspective on Stone Mountain Park” (view full statement). The Unity Bill strengthens Stephens efforts to bring a “21st century perspective” to Georgia’s 3,200 acre public park that currently serves as the world’s largest Confederate memorial. Removing the hateful symbols would bring the public park in line with the United States Military and major U.S. brands that have banned Confederate symbols, including Walmart, Amazon, eBay and NASCAR.
Stephens’ initiative and the Unity Bill come at a troubling time and critical crossroads for the Park. This past year the Park attracted heavily-armed demonstrations and a planned white supremacy rally which closed the Park and resulted in the deployment of the Georgia National Guard and violence in nearby communities. The SMMA even noted in its 2019 Strategic Plan that its goal of providing public safety services is inhibited by “threat of terrorism, civil disturbance, or the major public safety incidents.”
This increasing violence and division have also impacted the Park’s finances and operations. In October 2020, it was made public that the Park’s management company that has run all of the its revenue-generating attractions and hotels since 1998, decided to terminate its contract and end all operations stating, “Our guests and team members have recently shared that Stone Mountain Park feels increasingly less family-friendly, welcoming, and enjoyable, as the park is frequently the site of protests and division.”
The ongoing controversy has caused other major companies to dissociate themselves from the Park and even pledge to end spending millions of dollars for future events. All of this comes as the Park’s reported net loss after depreciation for 2021 is budgeted at $4,777,638.
In February, the Stone Mountain Action Coalition launched its Reclaim OUR Park campaign to support the Unity Bill and advocate for additional changes at the Park.
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