Georgia Park Sued By Confederacy Group Over Planned Exhibit Exploring Slavery & Segregation

The Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans has filed a lawsuit against the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, arguing that the park's plans to create an exhibit addressing the site's links to slavery, segregation, and white supremacy violate state law. The lawsuit claims the exhibit and related changes, including the 2021 relocation of Confederate flags, go against the purpose of preserving the site's Confederate legacy. "When they come after the history and attempt to change everything to the present political structure, that's against the law," said Martin O'Toole, a spokesperson for the group.

The disputed exhibit, which is still in development, aims to confront the park's ties to the Lost Cause ideology and the Ku Klux Klan's reemergence. One section of the exhibit would address the mountain's connection to the 1915 revival of the KKK, spurred by a cross burning held atop Stone Mountain after the release of Birth of a Nation. The monument, completed in 1972, features Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson on horseback. Although the massive carving remains protected under Georgia law, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association has moved forward with contextualizing the site's racist history. The group hired Warner Museums in 2022 to design the exhibit.

According to the exhibit proposal, the installation would examine "how the collective memory created by Southerners in response to the real and imagined threats to the very foundation of Southern society, the institution of slavery… was fertile ground for the development of the Lost Cause movement." It also highlights the roles that Confederate heritage groups played in spreading that ideology, through education and support for segregationist laws.

Despite this effort to provide historical context, the Sons of Confederate Veterans argue that the project "completely repurpose[s] the Stone Mountain Memorial Park" and disregards legislative intent. The Georgia General Assembly allocated $11 million in 2023 to fund the exhibit and upgrade Memorial Hall. The new display has yet to open, and park officials have not publicly commented on the lawsuit. The park board also changed its logo in 2021, moving away from Confederate imagery.

Link: APNews