Stone Mountain Park Memorial in Georgia

The Stone Mountain Park Memorial is the largest Confederate memorial in the U.S., and the controversy around it demonstrates that the American Civil War’s emancipatory purpose remains contested more than a century-and-a-half after its end. Despite multiple protests, and a gubernatorial campaign running on a platform against the monument’s continued existence, Georgian state law has prevented any physical alterations to the stone face. This case is symptomatic of the broader American struggle to reconcile the legacy of the Civil War, slavery, and the Confederacy in its monuments. It explores the legal limitations which encumber decision-makers and activists in addressing these issues.