DECATUR, GA—A 12-foot-tall bronze statue memorializing the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis now stands for the world to see in front of the historic Decatur Courthouse.
It was in this Georgia district, just outside of Atlanta, where Lewis served for 17 consecutive terms as Congressman that the unveiling ceremony was held on Aug. 24, 2024. Hundreds turned out to witness the historic event, many lining up at the Decatur Square hours ahead of the 11 a.m. ceremony.
Several dignitaries paid tributes to Lewis as a hero for progress, including Ambassador and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young; U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock; Congresswoman Nikema Williams; Congresswoman Lucy McBath; Congressman Sanford Bishop; DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond; DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, Presiding Officer for the Board of Commissioners; former DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis; Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett; and Atlanta civil rights activist Xernona Clayton, founder and CEO of the Trumpet Awards. Simone Moales, the 83rd SGA President of Spelman College, read a tribute on behalf of Kamala Harris, U.S. Vice President and nominee for the Democratic Party for President of the U.S. Rabbi Rachael Miller and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Jamal Bryant gave the invocation. Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson also recognized her husband, Congressman Hank Johnson, fellow Commissioners Robert Patrick, Michelle Long Spears, Ted Terry and Steve Bradshaw, former Commissioner Jeff Rader and DeKalb CEO-Elect Lorraine Cochran Johnson from the podium during the ceremony. Rashad Richey, a nationally-noted radio talk show host, political analyst and university professor and lecturer, served as the master of ceremonies.
Lewis was remembered as a trailblazer who got into “good trouble” through his nonviolent protests for civil rights and human rights. He, along with other noted civil rights activists, led the landmark march that became known as “Bloody Sunday” as peaceful demonstrators were beaten and attacked by police in Selma, Alabama on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965. Lewis was 25 years old at the time. He went on to become a great leader ever pressing for progress. He died in July 2020 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
The John Lewis Monument replaces a Confederate obelisk that had stood at the Decatur Square for more than a century before it was ordered removed by a judge in 2020.
Sculptor Basil Watson Photo top+ above Glenn L. Morgan/ocgnews.com
Renowned sculptor Basil Watson created the John Lewis monument. Watson, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, emigrated in 2002 to the U.S., where he established his studio and home in Lawrenceville, GA.
The statue shows Congressman Lewis with his hands over his heart—a gesture he frequently used as an expression of his love and compassion for the community he served.
Established in August 2020 by Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and Decatur City Mayor Patti Garrett, the John Lewis Commemorative Task Force commissioned Watson to design the memorial after a global search for an artist. The memorial was conceptualized by the Task Force after four years of planning. The task force raised over $700,000 for the project.
Metro-Atlanta dignitaries celebrate unveiling of John Lewis Monument, 8.24.2024
Photos by Andy Phelan and Demetrius McCoy
To view the video of the unveiling event by DCTV, click below:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ZbUzEP1MJrS4achd/