A monument to Henry Grady and his accomplishments on Marietta and Forsyth streets — also named Henry Grady Square — still stands today. Etched into his plaque are three celebratory words: “Journalist, Orator, Patriot.”

Let us be clear in recognizing that Grady, as a journalist, promoted racism. Grady, as an orator, promoted racism. And Grady was certainly no patriot — he was simply a racist.

By keeping Grady on a literal and figurative pedestal, we continue to celebrate a legacy that is incompatible with Atlanta’s progressive character. Is this truly what “the city too busy to hate” celebrates?

Mayor, unless you believe Henry Grady continues to embody the values and character of our great city, we and the below signatories firmly advocate that this monument be removed from the public square and relocated to the grounds of the Atlanta History Center. But in order to relocate this monument, we first must look to the State Capitol.

The Henry Grady monument and others like it are protected by a state law passed earlier this year.

The law, Georgia Senate Bill 77, states that no monument “shall be relocated, removed, concealed, obscured, or altered in any fashion by any officer or agency.” This means that, barring “appropriate measures” for preservation or a need for relocation due to construction, no one can move this statue — at least not legally.

Furthermore, it serves the purpose of issuing penalties for two actions any person or agency — such as a city government — might take: vandalization and relocation. The second focus of the law is what makes moving Grady’s monument presently illegal.

“At a time when cities all over the country are actively removing Confederate symbols from public spaces, it is disappointing that some Georgia lawmakers are choosing to play politics with our history and promote divisiveness,” Heidi Beirich, an expert on neo-Confederate movements and white supremacism, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in March.

This state law is essentially operating to protect monuments to racism and the Confederacy in Georgia. We therefore have an ethical obligation to advocate not only that this law be changed, but also that our city take a clear stance against it and these monuments.

We do not advocate for the destruction of this monument, as we reject the practice of attempting to erase or conceal our past. But we do advocate for the placing of this monument within historical context and absent of civic reverence — something the Atlanta History Center can no doubt achieve.

Unfortunately, even doing this would be illegal under state law. If the monument legally qualifies for relocation, the monument must still be in a place of “similar prominence, honor, visibility, and access.”

“A monument shall not be relocated to a museum, cemetery, or mausoleum unless it was originally placed at such location,” the law states.

Mayor, you have played an invaluable role in removing what shouldn’t represent Atlanta’s character. From renaming Confederate Avenue to United Avenue, to erecting plaques adjacent to Confederate monuments that provide historical context, your work has not gone unnoticed. But, there is still more to be done.

We understand that what we hope to see in the future — the permanent relocation of the Henry Grady monument to the Atlanta History Center — is illegal under current state law. But, just because it’s the law doesn’t make it right.

What we can request today is the placement of a plaque beneath the Henry Grady monument clarifying who he was and what he believed. But more importantly, we also request that you publicly advocate for this law to be changed or unwritten. And someday, after this change, we hope to revisit our request to relocate this monument legally.

No, we wouldn’t be here without Grady. But we can’t let him define who we are and what Atlanta is today.

Signed,

The Editorial Board of The Signal

The Young Democrats of Georgia

Georgia State University Student Government Association Office of the President

Georgia State University Student Government Association Office of the Atlanta Executive Vice President

The Black Student Alliance at Georgia State University