This past Tuesday’s Morning Reads included a link to an article covering a discussion between the Stone Mountain Action Coalition, a group of citizens that describes themselves as, “a movement dedicated to a more inclusive Stone Mountain Park centered on the principles of healing, transformation and progress,” and the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, the official entity that was created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1958 to oversee and protect Stone Mountain as a public recreation area – and Confederate memorial – and whose Board of Directors is appointed by the Governor.
The Stone Mountain Action Coalition’s ask is not particularly revolutionary. They are not demanding that the carving of the Confederate leaders be sandblasted from the face of the mountain. They haven’t lobbied for the addition of Atlanta’s two dopest boys in a Cadillac.
From the AJC:
The group’s proposals include removing the Confederate flags that have long flown at the base of the mountain; changing names of streets and other park features with Confederate affiliations; and launching a larger branding effort that would focus the park on themes like nature, racial reconciliation and justice.
The coalition also suggested halting maintenance on the mountain’s massive carving of Confederate leaders Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee, which it views as a potential short-term solution while working to change state laws that protect the monument.
These requests are straightforward and utterly reasonable, and are built from a legacy of hard work by organizations like the Atlanta NAACP and others to continually raise awareness of the ugly impact and racist legacy of Stone Mountain Park.
Here is why I predict that the Stone Mountain Action Coalition is a group to watch: one of the group’s co-founders is Ryan Gravel. If that name is familiar, it’s because Gravel is the person who incepted the Atlanta Beltline, which is arguably one of the most transformative catalysts for urban redevelopment and economic development in Atlanta since the airport, in his 1999 graduate thesis at Georgia Tech.
It’s tempting – and easy – to lob soundbites with your opinion of what should or should not happen to Stone Mountain as Georgia continues the difficult and utterly necessary work to evolve past the legacy of the Confederacy and the role our state played in the enslavement, discrimination, and institutionalized racism that Black Georgians have faced, and fought, for centuries. The emergence of a group that is not only committed to transforming Stone Mountain Park, but has the experience, connections, and advocacy chops of Ryan Gravel, is notable, and I wholeheartedly believe they are likely to find opportunities for collaboration with the Stone Mountain Memorial Association.