Stone Mountain remains at the center of Georgia’s Confederate history debate

Stone Mountain Park in Georgia is home to the largest Confederate monument in the world — and one of the most controversial Civil War sites in America. Just outside Atlanta, the park attracts millions of visitors each year but remains at the center of a debate over Confederate history, Southern heritage and racism. Originally built as a tribute to the Confederacy, Stone Mountain features a massive carving of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson. It is also the site where the modern Ku Klux Klan was reborn in 1915, adding to its complex legacy. Each year, Confederate Memorial Day brings descendants of Confederate soldiers to the park. Critics argue the monument and gatherings reflect an effort to romanticize the Confederacy and downplay slavery’s role in the Civil War. Join the AJC's Jaide Garcia as she explores the debate over how Stone Mountain’s history should be told — and what the site should represent today. To learn more about the impact of Stone Mountain, watch the full Southern identity episode of "Curiosities of the South" now on the AJC YouTube channel — and subscribe for more in-depth stories shaping the region. Credits: AJC | Getty Images | N2SReports / YouTube | WXIA-TV | Getty Images | Library of Congress | New York Public Library | Virginia Commonwealth University