Atlanta Confederate Monuments, Street Names Under Review

ATLANTA, GA — Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced on Friday, Oct. 13 plans for a new committee with the purpose of evaluating street names and monuments linked to the Confederacy.

The decision follows months of conflict over Confederate monuments, with some saying they represent our history and should stay, and others saying they represent hate, racism and a time we should move beyond.

While there were already tensions over monuments, the flame was stoked by violence and the death of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Va. in August when a 20-year-old man plowed his car into a crowd of protesters, injuring many and killing Heyer.

Watch: Atlanta Confederate Monuments, Street Names Under Review

“The tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia brought renewed attention to Confederate markers and street names around the country, with many elected officials, clergy and members of the public calling for their removal. To ensure that we approach this in a thoughtful manner, and that we include community input in the process, my Administration and the Atlanta City Council worked to assemble a group of advisors to consider each marker,” said Mayor Reed, according to the press release. “The members of the committee will convene for the first time and initiate the reviewal process.”

SEE ALSO:

• Charlottesville 'Unite The Right' Rally: Feds Investigating Deadly Car Attack, Victim Identified
• Charlottesville 'Unite The Right' Rally: 1 Killed As Car Hits Crowd; 2 Troopers Die In Helicopter Crash
• Violence, Fury And Flames: Charlottesville Timeline
• Charlottesville Memorial: 'Make A Difference' To Honor Victim, Mom Says

The City Council allowed Mayor Reed to name six members to the committee, while five were named by the Council in an Oct. 2 meeting. They are:

• Sheffield Hale, President and CEO, Atlanta History Center
• Derreck Kayongo, CEO, Center for Civil and Human Rights
• Sonji Jacobs, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs, Cox Enterprises
• Dan Moore, Founder, APEX Museum
• Shelley Rose, Senior Associate Director, Southeast Region, Anti-Defamation League
• Larry Gallerstedt, CEO, Cousins Properties; Trustee, Robert Woodruff Foundation
• Douglas Blackmon, Senior Fellow and Director of Public Programs, University of Virginia’s Miller Center; Pulitzer Prize-winning author
• Nina Gentry, Owner, Gentry Planning Services
• Regina Brewer, preservation consultant
• Martha Porter Hall, community advocate
• Brenda Muhammad, Executive Director, Atlanta Victim Assistance

They plan to get feedback from historians, business leaders and residents. Beginning Oct. 18, at Atlanta City Hall, they will build context and make decisions concerning the statues.

A statue depicting confederate general and former Georgia Gov. John Brown Gordon on horseback is shown outside the Georgia statehouse Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, in Atlanta. Most of the 11 Southern states that seceded prior to and during the Civil War have rebel monuments on or near the grounds of their state Capitol buildings. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)