Is Stone Mountain Due For An Update?
2015 has been filled with many pressing debates, such as legalization of marijuana, gun control and people's opinions on Caitlyn Jenner, but there is one debate garnering nationwide attention.
That is the debate of the complete removal of the Confederate flag across the US. In the mix of this debate is a petition centered in Georgia to change the face of Stone Mountain by adding two significant figures alongside Confederate leaders Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. Those two significant figures are none other than Georgia’s own Big Boi and Andre 3000, together known as iconic group Outkast.
Mack Williams, an artist and animator, started the petition and suggested that by adding sculptures of Atlanta's Outkast to the granite formation that it won’t wash away the South’s history, but make it more robust, according to CNN.com
"I believe that Daddy Fat Sacks and Three Stacks should be carved riding in a Cadillac (as is their wont). This will help the new carving blend nicely with the Confederates who are on horseback," Williams wrote, using Big Boi and Andre 3000's nicknames, in a moveon.org petition that had more than 5,600 signatures as of Thursday afternoon.
Williams, who currently resides in Blackshear, came up with the idea when he heard the Atlanta branch of the NAACP wanted to completely remove the carvings, according to CNN.
Why Outkast?
Other than the fact they are one of the most critically and commercially acclaimed hip hop groups of all time, the duo helped popularize the Dirty South genre in the '90s. But for Williams, there is another reason he thinks they deserve to be on Stone Mountain.
"Luda or T.I. or Jermaine Dupri have all done a lot for the Atlanta music scene ... but nobody unites Atlanta like Outkast," Williams said. "If the image of these Confederate (generals and president) is divisive, I can't think of anything that would unite us like Outkast."
According to Williams, he doesn’t want to taint or erase the carvings, but to add more carvings to represent Georgia today.
"But it's for the Confederacy, which in my opinion, is a horrible thing," he said. "I don't think a work of art needs to be judged on its intent. ... I also don't think we should erase that and pretend it didn't happen or pretend it wasn't there."
There’s Plenty of Room
As of right now, the petition has over 10,000 signatures on petitions.moveon.org and is currently awaiting delivery to the Georgia State House, Georgia State Senate and Governor Nathan Deal.
In all honesty, Williams has a great idea in my opinion. I grew up in Stone Mountain, and ever since I was young, I’ve always asked why more carvings haven't been added to it. There’s definitely plenty of room up there to add at least three more carvings.
Georgia has a long, rich history of culture and heritage, but the carving of Davis, Lee, and Jackson on the side of Stone Mountain only represents a small, regrettable time in the history of the Peach State. It's about time we added a bit more of our history and culture to this monument.
Georgia has produced of number of influential people, including political figures, entertainers and even a president. The sky is the limit for whoever the state feels worthy enough to be carved onto the monument.
People who reside in Georgia always talk about how Georgia doesn’t have a distinctive enough culture that makes us stand out from the rest. I think adding more carvings to the monument will show others what we believe and stand for as people and as a state.
