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Legacy Of MLK Honored In The Shadow Of The Confederacy

April 4th, 2018

For decades, the exposed piece of granite just about 20 miles east of Atlanta, served as a gathering place for the Ku Klux Klan.

Ross Terrell / WABE

With the backdrop of Stone Mountain’s Confederate carving, the leader of DeKalb County honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy Wednesday.

For decades, the exposed piece of granite just about 20 miles east of Atlanta, served as a gathering place for the Ku Klux Klan. It was also the birthplace for the modern version of the white supremacist group.

But on the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination, the mountain played a different role.

DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said he wants to change what Stone Mountain stands for.

“If you want this day to be special, you will lead Stone Mountain Park away from its history of hatred and segregation into that promised land of brotherhood and peace and equality for all,” Thurmond said.

He said honoring King’s legacy starts with respecting those who look like the Civil Rights icon.

“When the lives of black men seem not to have much value today, if you’re going to value Dr. King, then you should value black men,” he said.

He said giving Stone Mountain and King’s assassination meaning start within the county.

“If we want to make it special, then we need to make it special right here in DeKalb County, Georgia,” Thurmond said.

He also called for construction of a bell tower on top on the mountain to symbolize Dr. King’s call to “let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.”