Decatur, GA — A special task force will determine the best way to honor the late Rep. John Lewis, a Civil Rights hero and long-serving Georgia congressman who recently passed away.

One idea that has been floated is putting a statue of John Lewis in the Decatur Square in the spot previously occupied by a Confederate monument. Workers removed the Confederate monument from the Square on June 18.

“DeKalb County District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett signed a joint declaration on Aug. 21 forming the John Lewis Commemorative Task Force,” a press release from the county said. “The task force will have six months to make a recommendation as to the best way to commemorate the life of the late Congressman Lewis in DeKalb County. The task force will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26.”

Task force members were appointed by Commissioner Davis Johnson, Mayor Garrett and Commissioner Steve Bradshaw, the presiding officer of DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, the press release said.

Garrett said the statue of John Lewis in the Square is one of the possibilities the task force will consider.

“Well it’s up to the task force to figure out an appropriate way to honor the memory of John Lewis, I don’t think there are any preconceived ideas going into this, but to bring people together to talk about what would be an appropriate way to commemorate John Lewis and bring some ideas forward,” Garrett said.

The task force members are:

– Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, ex officio

– DeKalb County Commissioner Jeff Rader, ex officio

– DeKalb County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw, ex officio

– Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett

– Attorney Juanita Powell Baranco

– Former DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis

– Decatur Commissioner George Dusenbury

– Former DeKalb County Commissioner Gail Waldorff

– Heather Fenton

– Attorney Brian Werthiem

– Audrey Maloof

– Teresa Hardy

– Eric Ellis

– Avondale Estates Mayor Jonathan Elmore

– Attorney Mawuli Davis

– Dr. Emory Berry

– Jan Selman

– Thomas L. Coleman

– Ed. Lee III

– Karima Jones

– Melissa Carlson Forgey

– Sharon Hill

– William Cook

– Sherry King

– Angie Macon

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