Just in time for Independence Day, descendants of soldiers who fought against the U.S. are now fighting in court. The Sons of The Georgia Chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans filed a lawsuit against Stone Mountain Park for planning an exhibit about the monument’s ties to slavery and white supremacy.
They claim it breaks state law.
🏛️ What’s Happening: The Georgia chapter argues that creating a “truth-telling” exhibit violates state laws protecting Confederate monuments.
- The planned exhibit would address the site’s connections to the KKK’s rebirth and segregationist history.
- The group also objects to the park’s 2021 decision to relocate Confederate flags away from a walking trail.
🗿 The Monument’s Background: Stone Mountain features the nation’s largest Confederate carving, depicting Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and “Stonewall” Jackson on horseback.
- Completed in 1972, the carving measures 190 feet across and 90 feet tall.
- The United Daughters of the Confederacy commissioned the project in 1915 – the same year the KKK held a cross burning atop the mountain.
💰 Moving Forward: Georgia lawmakers allocated $11 million in 2023 for the exhibit and renovations to Memorial Hall, though the exhibit isn’t open yet.
The lawsuit claims the exhibit would “completely repurpose” the park and ignore the legislature’s intent in creating and maintaining it. Park officials haven’t yet responded to requests for comment.
Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
