#hatefreedecatur

We had a successful rally with 50 to 75 individuals of all ages and backgrounds congregate in front of the confederate memorial demanding that it be removed from the square. Though the DeKalb County Commission voted in January 2018 for a resolution whereby the monument would be removed, they have not received any proposals requesting the monument. As a result, the Commissioners will be considering a proposal on Tuesday May 8th that calls for the monument to be moved to another location in the square. This is unacceptable and keeps the monument lodged in Decatur’s heart.

Now that we have some momentum built up, let’s put it to good use before Tuesday’s meeting. Here is what we need you to do:

1. Participate in the Tweet Storm Telling the Commissioners We Want the Confederate Monument #OffTheSquare.

Starting Monday at 9 am, @hatefreedecatur will begin a tweet storm to Commissioners @raderjeff @KathieGannon @stevebradshawd4 @meredadjohnson @gregoryadamsd7 stating “DeKalb Residents Want the Confederate Monument #OffTheSquare”

We encourage you to participate by retweeting our tweets and creating your own tweets to the Commissioners using the hastag #OfftheSquare

2. Email the Commissioners Telling Them You Want the Monument Off the Square

Email addresses for all the commissioners are provided below. Here is a template email you can send:

Dear Commissioner(s) [INSERT NAME],

My name is [Your Name] and I live at [Your Address].

I am writing because I have learned about the proposal up for review this Tuesday May 8th before the Operations Committee concerning the confederate monument. I ask that you vote no to any proposal that would seek to move the monument to another part of the downtown Decatur Square. The purpose of the movement around the removal of the monument is that it should not be located in the heart of downtown Decatur, just a few feet from the DeKalb County Courthouse.

Instead, I ask that you adopt Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson’s Proposal whereby a Task Force of DeKalb County residents reviews the close to 1700 properties owned by DeKalb County and determines the best location for the monument. This proposal is the best use of everyone’s time and resources. Let’s make sure we do this the right way.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

3. Call the DeKalb County Commissioners and Tell Them You Want the Monument #OfftheSquare

In addition to email addresses, we have provided the phone numbers of the DeKalb County Commissioners below. Please take a moment to call them letting them know that you want the monument off the square and you believe the proposal from Mereda Davis Johnson, described above in the template email, is the process that the Commission should adopt.

4. Forward this email to friends and neighbors.

5. Come to the Operations Committee Meeting on Tuesday May 8th at 2pm!!!

The Meeting is open to the public however there is no option for public comment. Regardless, we want the Commission to see our PEOPLE POWER!

District 1: Nancy Jester, 404-371-2844, [email protected]

District 2: Jeff Rader - 404-371-2863, [email protected]

District 3: Larry Johnson, 404-371-2425, [email protected]

District 4: Steve Bradshaw, 404-371-4907, [email protected]

District 5: Mereda Davis, 404-371-2159, [email protected]

District 6: Kathie Gannon, 404-371-4909, [email protected]

District 7: Gregory Adams, 404-371-2899, [email protected]

CEO: Michael Thurmond, 404-371-2881, [email protected]

In Solidarity,

Hate Free Decatur

Beacon Hill NAACP

Atlanta NAACP

Georgia NAACP

Georgia #Not1More Coalition

Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)

Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR)

Jewish Voices for Peace

Us Protecting Us

Georgia Alliance for Social Justice