A memorial honoring the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a Civil Rights icon, will soon take the place of a confederate monument in DeKalb County, Georgia.
On Jan. 26, DeKalb County Commissioners approved a resolution to position the memorial on the grounds of the Historic DeKalb County Courthouse.
A confederate monument was removed from the same location in June of 2020.
“The area that once held the obelisk monument is unique as it sits wholly, both in the Congressional District Mr. Lewis represented for over 33 years and in DeKalb County, Georgia, and in the City of Decatur, the county seat,” the resolution reads.
Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights representatives advocated for a younger version of Lewis to be depicted in the memorial.
“It is our hope that because our youth played such an essential role in the removal of the [Confederate] monument, that a statue of the young John Lewis during his [younger] years will be erected in the Decatur square,” the representatives said at a meeting in July.
They continued, “This will be a reminder of how many young people have been a catalyst for change in the world. Where a monument once stood to intimidate and disenfranchise Black voters, soon will stand a statue of an American hero who gave his life to building the movement that ensures Black people have the right to vote.”
Lewis died in July at 80-years-old after battling cancer, as IJR previously reported.
He served 17 terms in Congress after being elected in 1986 and helped Martin Luther King Jr. organize the March on Washington.
Lewis penned an op-ed published posthumously, titled “Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation,” as IJR previously reported.
“Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe,” Lewis wrote.
