Georgia Should Remove Requirement for Stone Mountain Park to Operate as a Confederate Memorial
In 1958, in the face of a growing Civil Rights movement, the State of Georgia purchased Stone Mountain and later passed legislation requiring that it operate as a memorial to the Confederacy, fulfilling an effort started in the 1910’s by the Daughters of the Confederacy and supported by the KKK. As noted by the Atlanta History Center, the creation of the largest Confederate memorial in the world, was part of a larger “political movement, trying to deny Black Georgians the right to vote, fighting school integration, and doing their best to maintain the racial status quo.”
Shockingly, the laws that created the park as a Confederate memorial and required it to sell Confederate memorabilia remain in place.
During the 2023-2024 legislative term, several State House Representatives from DeKalb County, home to the park, introduced House Bill 794 that would have repealed the Confederate mandate and, in keeping with the purpose of other state parks, refocus Stone Mountain park as a place for outdoor recreation and learning about the natural environment. Unfortunately, HB 794 did not advance out of the House Governmental Affairs Committee, then chaired by State Rep. John LaHood of Valdosta. Please note that the designation HB 794 has been assigned to an entirely different bill in the 2025-2026 term.
Sponsors of House Bill 794 (2023-2024)
Rep. Billy Mitchell, Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, Rep. Karla Drenner, Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick, Rep. Omari Crawford, Rep. Karen Luton
During the current session, DeKalb legislators have introduced House Bill 243, which would modify the state law that created the park in 1958. The relevant part of the Official Code of Georgia reads as follows:
§ 12-3-192.1
The purposes of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association shall include:
(1) To preserve the natural areas situated within the Stone Mountain Park area;
(2) To provide access to Stone Mountain for Georgia's citizens; and
(3) To maintain an appropriate and suitable memorial for the Confederacy.
HB 243 would modify § 12-3-192.1 (3) to read:
(3) To educate the public about the natural history of the mountain and its environment, and the history of human interaction with the mountain and its surroundings.
HB 243 would allow the entire history of the park to be told, without bias. Furthermore, it would shift the focus of the park to the real reasons most visitors come there, while taking the focus away from the legacy of racism that keeps many away.
HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION
Please call and write to Chairman Victor Anderson, the members of the House Governmental Affairs Committee, and your State House Representative calling on them to schedule a hearing for HB 243 early in the current legislative session. Time is of the essence! The 2026 session of the Georgia state legislature, which opened on Monday, January 12th, only runs for 40 legislative days, and is scheduled to end on April 6th.
Sample Letter/Email/Telephone Script:
“My name is _____ and I live and vote in State Representative _______’s district. I’m writing/calling to request that he/she/they ask Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Anderson to schedule a hearing for HB 243, which would remove the requirement that Stone Mountain Park operate as a memorial to the Confederacy, as early as possible in the current session of the General Assembly. The acts of legislation that created the park as a Confederate memorial were passed at the height of the Civil Rights movement and were clearly designed to maintain the racial status quo of the time. There is no excuse for continuing to have such divisive and hurtful regulations on the books. Thank you for considering my request.”
Find your legislator
https://www.legis.ga.gov/find-my-legislator
House Governmental Affairs Committee
https://www.house.ga.gov/Committees/en-US/Committee.aspx?Committee=92&Committee=92