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Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights pushes for John Lewis statue in Decatur Square

Decatur Metro ATL

Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights pushes for John Lewis statue in Decatur Square

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U.S. Rep. John Lewis
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Decatur, GA — A Decatur advocacy group is pushing city leaders to place a statue of late Rep. John Lewis in the Decatur Square in the spot previously occupied by a Confederate monument.

The Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights sent a statement on July 28 advocating for a statue of the congressman who was a Civil Rights hero. Lewis died on July 17. Workers removed the Confederate monument from the Square on June 18. The monument had been in that spot since 1908.

Mawuli Davis and Ingra Myrick, co-chairs of the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights, said, “Our executive leadership which includes student leaders unanimously support the erection of the statue of Congressman John Lewis in the location where the Confederate monument once stood.”

“During our organizing campaign to have the monument removed, we discussed the Student Non-Violent Coordinating (SNCC) as an important student-led aspect of our Movement victories and history,” they said. “John Lewis was a member and chairperson of SNCC during his historic years in the Civil Rights Movement. It is our hope that because our youth played such a central role in the removal of the monument that a statue of a young John Lewis during his SNCC years would be erected in the Decatur Square.  This statue would be a reminder of how young people have always been the catalyst for change in the world.”

Here is the full statement:

Good morning,

We write to you on behalf of the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights, “Beacon Hill”.  Beacon Hill worked with other community organizations and members since 2017 to have the Confederate monument removed from the City of Decatur.  The collective organizing and struggle we engaged in placed our youth and students at the center of the work in the successful removal of the monument.  Our young people participated in marches, teach-ins, Townhall meetings, protests rallies, marches, and community canvassing to advocate for the monument’s removal.

Our executive leadership which includes student leaders unanimously support the erection of the statue of Congressman John Lewis in the location where the Confederate monument once stood.   During our organizing campaign to have the monument removed, we discussed the Student Non-Violent Coordinating (SNCC) as an important student-led aspect of our Movement victories and history.  John Lewis was a member and chairperson of SNCC during his historic years in the Civil Rights Movement.   It is our hope that because our youth played such a central role in the removal of the monument that a statue of a young John Lewis during his SNCC years would be erected in the Decatur Square.  This statue would be a reminder of how young people have always been the 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 ensured Black people had the right to vote.

Thank you for your time consideration.

Sincerely,

Mawuli Davis

Ingra Myrick

Co-Chairs of Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights

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