Georgia’s Stone Mountain Plan To Honor MLK With Tribute
Source: Adina Tovy / Getty
Georgia’s Stone Mountain, the site that once hosted Ku Klux Klan cross-burnings and hosts Confederate tributes will soon be adding a tower in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. According to CNN affiliate WSB, the tower will include a replica of the Liberty Bell and give literal representation to a line from King’s “I Have a Dream” speech: “Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.”
The Stone Mountain Memorial Association said in a statement that the “King Monument Bell” will “facilitate a more complete telling of the mountain’s history and an expansion of the park’s educational offerings.” The statement also said additions will consist of a permanent museum exhibit to recognize contributions of African-American soldiers in both the Union and Confederate armies.
Stone Mountain is within a predominately African-American community just outside of Atlanta. Even though the Stone Mountain Memorial Association oversees the property, Stone Mountain Park’s business operations are governed by a private firm, Herschend Family Entertainment.
The park receives over 4 million visitors each year, making it one of Georgia’s most popular tourist locations. However along with the outdoor attractions, the granite monadnock features a number of Confederate symbols.
Stone Mountain has a controversial history. The mountain formerly privately owned, was host to the reformation of the Ku Klux Klan in 1915. The mountain was purchased by the state of Georgia in 1958 and banned the Klan rallies.
However spokesman for the Stone Mountain Memorial Association,John Bankhead said in July Stone Mountain Park “is set up by Georgia law as a museum for the Confederacy.”Most recently the mountain has been the subject of protests.
Two years ago, local residents walked to the top and rang a bell in honor of the “I Have a Dream” speech’s 50th anniversary.
In July, the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP called for the removal of all Confederate symbols from the park, which includes a variety of family-entertainment attractions. A state representative called for a boycott over the Confederate symbols.
In August, Stone Mountain was the site of a rally celebrating the Confederate flag and Monday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the Georgia chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans was displeased with the MLK proposal, saying the tower would be “in contradistinction to the purpose for which the park exists and would make it a memorial to something different.”
Many details still have to be worked out, including the use of the line from King’s speech, since “I Have a Dream” is copyrighted and controlled by his children. However CEO of The Stone Mountain Memorial Association, Bill Stephens is confident that change is going to come.
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