About the Creator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The idea of the Stone Mountain monument was first commissioned in 1915, sculptor Gutzon Borglum most famously known for sculpting Mount Rushmore was hired to design the monument. However, Borglum had ties to the Ku Klux Klan and he envisioned the monument as a larger way to monumentalize white supremacy and due to many conflicts with the UDC it led to his departure from the project<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final project was completed under the Stone Mountain Memorial Association with lots of support Georgia. Hale describes the monument as \u201cGranite Stopped Time\u201d which means the creators wanted to freeze confederate memories through the making of this monument so it couldn\u2019t be erased (Hale 1998). The involvement of states shows how confederate memory wasn\u2019t just a private project it was a public one that was backed by political powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The monument reflected values of the old south, many white southerners saw it as a proud symbol of their heritage and resistance to Northern dominance. Hale says that it was \u201coriginally envisioned as a symbol of a solid white south\u201d(Hale 1998). For the supporters it represented Southern pride and Continuity with southern ancestors. This opinion was primarily shaped by the lost cause ideology while the sheer size of the monument projected permanence as well as authority. The goal was that Southern Identity would be long lasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast the new opinion reflects changing attitude towards confederate symbols. To African Americans and many in the north it has represented slavery and racial oppression. Many argue that \u201cIt presents a collective memory of the souths history which is now largely commodified\u201d(Essex 2002). This means that the site has turned confederate memory into entertainment. Today opinions seem to be slightly divided, some view it as harmless while others see it as a painful reminder of slavery and racial justice as they question whether monuments that glorify confederacy have any place in modern society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Stone Mountain Confederate Monument is one of the most controversial monuments in the country. Due its ties with the Ku Klux Klan, its celebration of Confederate leaders who supported slavery and its origins with the lost cause ideology where they tried to minimize the slavery aspect of the war. Many argue that it glorifies white supremacy and erases the suffering of those who were enslaved. The controversy isn\u2019t just about history, it also is about power, its about who gets to define heritage, or whose stories are told and whose are silenced. In recent years there has been talked to take down the monument especially after events that took place such as the Charleston Church Shooting in 2015 and the 2017 Charlottesville rally. Events like these highlight how Confederate symbols inspire violence and division which makes the argument regarding this argument more urgent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The question of if the monument should be removed is quite the slippery slope. On one hand the monument does represent white supremacy as it celebrates Confederate leaders who fought in order to maintain slavery which make it incompatible with modern values of racial inequality. When they say the monument was made to maintain Confederate memories it more so shoes that the monument was created to exclude rather than unite the nation. On the other hand the park does act as a commodified landscape that is also full of entertainment rather than just the monument so by removing the monument you would take all those qualities away. One way this could be revised is by adding plaques to the monument in order to explain the racist origins. It wouldn’t take away from the racism but it could be used as a learning moment rather than just removing it. Ultimately the struggle on whether to remove it reflects the American struggles over memory, identity, and justice. Monuments aren’t something that is neutral they are always arguing a specific point and regardless of what they do with the monument Stone mountain still forces us to confront the legacies of slavery<\/p>\n\n\n\n BernardEditor, D. B., & RetropolisEmailEmailBioBio, writer for. (2020, July 2). The creator of Mount Rushmore\u2019s forgotten ties to white supremacy<\/em>. Washington Post. https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/history\/2020\/07\/03\/mount-rushmore-gutzon-borglum-klan-stone-mountain\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n Essex, Jamey. \u201c\u2018THE REAL SOUTH STARTS HERE\u2019: WHITENESS, THE CONFEDERACY, AND COMMODIFICATION AT STONE MOUNTAIN.\u201d Southeastern Geographer<\/em>, vol. 42, no. 2, 2002, pp. 211\u201327. JSTOR<\/em>, http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/44371145. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Gutzon](\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/4130\/5084587355_97398d2db7_b.jpg\")
Old Opinions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
New Opinions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Controversy Behind the Monument<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Should it Be removed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Works Cited<\/h2>\n\n\n\n