Georgia city installs bronze statue of Civil Rights icon John Lewis in place of Confederate statue

The city of Decatur, Georgia, on Friday installed a bronze statue of the late Civil Rights icon and former congressman John Lewis, replacing a Confederate monument that was often vandalized during the Black Lives Matter movement.

Lewis, who died in 2020, was a Democratic lawmaker that was known for telling people to get in "good trouble" for causes that were important like the Civil Rights movement, according to the Associated Press. Protesters used that line in calling for the removal of the 30-foot Confederate monument, which stood in Decatur for over a century.

Internationally acclaimed sculptor Basil Waston watched as crews placed the 12-foot bronze statue near the Historic Decatur Courthouse. The statue is now standing in the same district that Lewis represented, and will be officially unveiled on Aug. 24.

“It’s exciting to see it going up and exciting for the city because of what he represents and what it’s replacing,” Watson said.

Calls to remove the previous Confederate monument began in 2017, after a deadly white nationalist rally took place in Charlottesville, Virginia. The monument was officially removed in June of 2020 after the city claimed it had become a threat to public safety, CNN reported.

“This project has been a labor of love for all of us who knew and loved Congressman Lewis. He served our district and the world with such honor and distinction,” Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett said in an announcement of the new statue.

“His statue will stand as a reminder to all who pass that once this great but humble man walked among us, and we are happy we elected him over and over to serve us and the world," she continued. "He was truly the conscience of the Congress."

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.