A crowd gathered at Decatur’s historic square in Georgia on Saturday to witness the unveiling of a 12-foot-tall bronze statue of the late civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, replacing a Confederate monument dismantled in 2020.

The event, attended by neighbors, politicians, and civil rights leaders, saw applause as a black veil was lifted to reveal the statue, marking the same spot where a Confederate statue stood by United Daughters of the Confederacy since 1908.

The Confederate monument was removed after years of activism and following national protests over police brutality and racial injustice, particularly after George Floyd’s death.

Lewis was a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement and a Georgia congressman.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices