Why I changed my opinion of Confederate Memorials, and you should too.

*I don't normally write political pieces, but the last two posts have been political. I understand if it is not something you like to read about, but this year I have been inspired to write these posts. I will follow that inspiration wherever it leads. 

At the beginning of this year, I did something completely out of character for me and created a Change.org petition to update the Confederate Memorial on Stone Mountain. For those who don’t know what the Confederate Memorial is or anything about Stone Mountain, I will give you a brief description. Stone Mountain is larger than Mount Rushmore. It is home to the world’s largest piece of exposed granite. It is literally a large Stone Mountain. It has Southern generals and the President of the Confederate States on their horses engraved onto the face of the mountain.[1] 

My petition to update Stone mountain was to change the memorial from one that was strictly a Confederate Memorial to a Civil War monument. It seemed like a good compromise to add those who fought against slavery to the mountain. This would allow the history of the Confederacy to be preserved while spreading a better overall message. It would give representation to both sides of the Civil War. This seemed like a great comprise to the controversy that surrounds Stone Mountain and I believed in my heart that it was the solution

As part of my efforts, I contacted the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP to get their support. They responded, “Adding anything to it only validates the vision. ‘Subtraction’ is the only way to repudiate Georgia’s racism.”  Their response made me sad because I believed that subtracting would be destroying a piece of history and an artist’s hard work.

Then a month ago Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R)[2] posted a picture of a man accused of modern-day slavery. I was disgusted that they posted his face and even more disgusted with this man’s actions. It was at this point that I realized two very important things. First, slavery has not been eradicated and it is a battle still being fought today. Second, those confederate men depicted on Stone Mountain fought to keep slavery legal and growing. I would not put the modern-day slave owner’s picture on anything, let alone carve his face onto a mountain. The only reason I need to know what he looks like is to avoid him. Yet, larger than life memorialized forever are three men who fought and won battles to keep slavery legal.

Some will argue that the Civil War was not begun as a fight for slavery. I have heard and completely understand those arguments. However, the Confederacy was fighting for the right to add more slave states to the union. Which means that they were fighting for the continuation and growth of slavery.

My question for us is how can we achieve freedom for all people when we revere and memorialize those who fought to enslave?

In a lesson on monuments by facinghistory.com they say “Monuments and memorials serve multiple functions in the communities in which they are erected. When the members of the community create a monument or memorial, they are making a statement about the ideas, values, or individuals they think their society should remember, if not honor.”[3]

Stone Mountain and its Confederate Memorial are owned by the state of Georgia. Does Georgia really want to honor and remember President Robert E Lee, General Jefferson Davis, and General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson?

These men represent the confederacy and a war that they fought to keep slavery legal; a practice that allows men to oppress and abuse their fellow men. Slave owners would rape their female slaves to produce more slaves and have all the free labor they desired. They called and considered their slaves as chattel and property. Slaves were not seen as people or equal in value to their owners.
This is not the history I want to memorialize. The history of the United States that I want to honor and remember are those men who fought for everyone’s freedom. I want to remember "The Declaration of Independence" and its creed that “all men are created equal.” This is a great example of the history of America that we should remember and honor with memorials. 

Keeping Stone Mountain as a memorial to the Confederacy is not a matter of preserving history. Stone Mountain’s history resides in the granite taken from it and used to build the Fort Knox gold depository and the foundation for the Lincoln Memorial. 

For those who say that keeping the Stone Mountain carving is preserving history, let’s review its history. The Civil War took place between 1861 and 1865. The first thought of carving confederate men onto Stone Mountain is on record as 1915, fifty years after the Civil War ended. The carving began in 1923, but that initial carving was blasted away in 1928. At that time carving began again, but only lasted for a few months. Then it stopped once more with no plans or money to begin again. The State of Georgia bought Stone Mountain in 1958 and has owned it ever since.[4]

The bulk of carving on Stone Mountain did not begin until 1964. This was the same year many people were fighting for an end to discrimination. In fact, the Civil Rights Law of 1964 (a law that prohibited segregation and employment discrimination) was passed on July 2^nd and the carving of Stone Mountain started on July 4^th, just two days later.[5] The carving of Stone Mountain was not completed until 1972. 

Stone Mountain was not carved to show respect to amazing men and their contribution to society. It was carved to show continued disrespect to those citizens of the United States who were colored. It was carved to make a stand for discrimination and against forced integration. That is the real history of the Confederate Memorial carving on Stone Mountain.

Is this what the citizens of Georgia want to remember and honor? Do they want to memorialize those who fought to enslave and discriminate, or do they want to continue to fight against slavery and discrimination?

As for me, I changed my mind. I don’t want to preserve the history of discrimination that is the Confederate Memorial on Stone Mountain. I want to fight slavery and discrimination. I want to honor and remember those who fought for freedom for all mankind in the past and those who continue to fight for it today.

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[1] https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/things-you-might-not-know-about-stone-mountain-park/bdffmFbsNskCuHX2mgEHpO/

[2] http://ourrescue.org/blog/

[3] facinghistory.com

[4] https://www.stonemountainpark.com/About/History

[5] https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-act

Falcons and Stone Mountain

Almost two years ago there was an excited energy in Atlanta. The state of Georgia was alive with anticipation. The Falcons had finally made it to the Superbowl and all of Georgia gathered to support their team

We looked forward to seeing the Falcon’s “RISE UP” and win against the Patriots. After the first half of the Superbowl, the Falcons were up by 25 points. According to ESPN, “no team had ever made up more than a 10-point deficit to win the super Bowl.” But when the game ended, the score was Patriots 34 and Falcons 28.  My daughter was so upset she stormed upstairs crying and Falcons fans everywhere mourned the loss.

For some reason my reaction was the opposite. The very next morning I woke up and bought Falcon’s t-shirts for the entire family. I know that someday the Falcons will go to the Super Bowl again and when they do, I will be ready with t-shirts for the whole family.

This isn’t the Falcons year yet but the excitement is still in the city of Atlanta as they host the Super Bowl. For those watching the game at home the NFL will be launching a new “Inspire Change” initiative with television spots. The initiative seeks to “create positive change in communities across the country.”  

One community that can use some positive change is Georgia’s own Stone Mountain.  For years Stone Mountain has been home to the world’s largest confederate monument. However, it is time for Stone Mountain to become a Civil War monument that includes some of the hard-working slaves, the backbone of the south. William and Ellen Craft would be excellent candidates.

William and Ellen lived on different plantations in Southern Georgia. Ellen’s father was the white plantation owner and her mother was one of his slaves. Ellen was born a slave with a light complexion. The mistress of the house hated her for it and treated her very badly. At age eleven Ellen was given to her half-sister in another town and separated from her mother.

William Craft also knew the sadness and loss associated with being a slave.  His parents, two brothers and a sister were sold at auction. When William and his fourteen-year-old sister found themselves on the auction block as well, he pled with his sister’s new owner and the auctioneer to let him say good-bye. They refused and unable to do anything, he simply had to look on from a distance as his sister with tears rolling down her cheeks in despair bowed a final farewell.

After experiencing so much family separation William and Ellen struggled with the thought of getting married even though they loved each other. They had separate owners and knew that any children they had together would be born slaves. So instead of subjecting their future children to that life and possibly being separated from them or each other, they came up with a plan to escape to freedom. Ellen dressed up like a white slave owning plantation man. She wrapped her face in cloth and pretended to have a tooth ache and wrapped her arm up as if it was injured as well. She cut her hair, wore male clothes, and even donned a top hat.

 Ellen played the part of William’s master. With a few days off for Christmas, they started their 1,000-mile journey to the north. It was not easy, and they could not travel together. Ellen had to stay in character and remain with the white people and William had to travel with the other slaves. After they reached freedom in the north, they began to tell others about their story and the life of a slave in the south. Eventually, they had to travel to England in order to remain free and safe. They never stopped telling their story and fighting for freedom, though. When slaves became free in all of America, they returned to Georgia and started a school, that they funded with their own money, to help educate former slaves and the poor.

William and Ellen saw the injustice of slavery and rose up to escape it. Then they fought it and came back to Georgia to help others create a better life for themselves. Having them carved onto Stone Mountain would remind us of their story and others like them. Their story is part of the south’s story and deserves to be immortalized along with the confederate generals that are currently carved onto Stone mountain.

Now there may be some who say that we should get rid of the confederate generals from the monument completely. However, even these men have a story to tell that is worth listening to.

General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s life was not easy. His parents both died before he was eight, leaving him an orphan. He was considered by one of his uncles to be the least bright of the Jackson children. He made it into West Point college by the skin of his teeth through sheer determination and was ranked 94^th when he started; dead last in his class. He worked hard and finished 17^th.

Jackson’s first wife, Ellie as he affectionately called her, died after delivering a still born baby boy. When their funeral was over, Jackson stood at their single grave as snow fell around him until his pastor came and led him away.

Jackson’s faith was a big part of who he was. He prayed and read scriptures daily. He prayed everywhere and about everything. He even prayed before opening a letter to be prepared for its contents.

Jackson’s belief in God made him want to help all people, so he started a black Sunday School. Because of this act his friend once remarked that “He was emphatically the black man’s friend.” Although he owned a few slaves, he did not try to become a slave owner and he was kind and generous to the few he did own.

Additionally, Jackson was a unionist and he did not want to go to war. He said, “It is painful to discover with what unconcern they speak of war and threaten it. They do not know its horrors. I have seen enough of it to look upon it as the sum of all evils.” Jackson even went to his pastor to talk about uniting everyone in prayer to avoid war.

Then, why did Jackson go to war as a confederate? Well, Jackson’s first loyalty was to his state. He did not want the government to take power from Virginia or to invade it. When the federal government did, he fought back with his fellow Virginians. Jackson’s second wife Anna said that he never would have gone to war to fight to keep slavery going.

Once war began Jackson earned his nickname of “Stonewall” because he taught his men to stand their ground and not retreat. Jackson would probably love to be a navy seals trainer if he were alive today. During his day he was known for pushing his men faster and further than was thought possible.

General “Stonewall” Jackson’s determination inspired the south, but what he really wanted was to live the American dream by owning a home and living a simple life with his wife. Thinking back on his life he said, “I too have crosses and am at times deeply afflicted, but however sore may be the trials they lose their poignancy and instead of producing injury I feel that I am but improved by the ordeal.” 

Like Jackson after trials, the United States became a better country after the sore affliction of the Civil War. It became a better country because finally all of its citizens were free. Although, the continued freedoms of blacks, women, minorities, and so many more are still fought for today. There is hope that someday we will all be treated and paid as equals. 

In the meantime, having a monument dedicated to a bigger picture of the civil war would be a step in the right direction. History should not be erased or forgotten but learned from. I am still hoping the Falcons can learn from their game with the Patriots and “rise up” to win a Super Bowl someday. But for now, let’s “Inspire Change” to Stone Mountain. Let’s create a Civil War Monument and remember both the confederate generals and the true back-bone of the south, the slaves. In remembering, we will not repeat the mistakes of the past and we will show that “United we stand.”

Please join with me in creating a permanent change. Help improve Stone Mountain and learn from the past. The Confederate generals were far from perfect, but none of us are perfect. If the only people we made statues and momuments of were perfect, then we never would have any besides Jesus Christ. However, there is good in many of us and we need to see the good as well as acknowledge the bad. 

https://www.change.org/p/carve-slaves-william-and-ellen-craft-onto-stone-mountain

Works Cited - 

Information on William and Ellen Craft -
Craft, William and Ellen. "Running a Thousand Miles For Freedom." Start Publishing LLC eBook edition, 2012.
McDonough, Yona Zelis. "What Was the Underground Railroad?" Penguin Workshop,           2013.

Information on General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson - 
Gwynee, S.C. "Rebel Yell: the Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson."  Scribner, 2014.