DUBLIN, Ga. — Across the country, people are debating confederate monuments and what to do with them. The big question is, "Should they stay in their current location or be moved?" In Dublin, the city's race relations task force recommended two options on what the Emerald City should do.
In early September, protesters lined Bellevue Avenue in Dublin both in support and against the Confederate monument near the Dublin Theater.
Now, the race relations task force is recommending two options for the monument.
The first is to repurpose the monument for historical and educational purposes by placing the monument at the Dublin-Laurens Museum, near the Confederate Graves at Northview Cemetery, on private property, or return it to the hands of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and/or Sons of the Confederate Veterans for preservation and placement on private property. 12 members of the task force supported this option.
The second is to redefine, redesign, and reimagine the park around the monument in its current location to communicate an inclusive, educational, tolerant message of racial unity. Six members of the task force supported the second option.
"These civil war memorials were erected in a period of time when the entire community did not have the option of selecting," Christopher Johnson said.
That's why Johnson supports option one while John Hall Junior supports option two which would add historical context.
"The true history of the monument, who it represents and stuff like that, I think that would be great for historical purposes," Hall said.
Johnson says the monument should be moved because it does reflect the values of Dublin, while Hall feels the monument is part of history in the city.
"The voice is loud and clear even nationally, these types of memorials are not appropriate for the community," Johnson said.
"The Confederate monument brings people to Dublin, I don't want to see that kind of history just washed away for some political agenda," Hall said.
The next step would is for the Dublin City Council to take a look at the two recommendations. 13WMAZ will keep you updated on the progress of these recommendations.