Atlanta, Georgia: Statue of Tom Watson, Jekyll-Hyde of Georgia
Watson twice rose to power as a liberal, but in-between he helped to re-start the Ku Klux Klan and supported lynching blacks, Jews, and Catholics. His 12-foot-tall bronze statue shows him with clenched fists. In Nov. 2013 it was moved from the state capitol across the street to the less-visible Georgia Plaza Park, where it joins the statue of another famous Georgia racist politician, Eugene Talmadge.
- Address:
- Mitchell St. SW, Atlanta, GA
- Directions:
- Downtown. The statue is in Georgia Plaza Park, across the street from the state capitol. Park on Mitchell St. SW just west of Washington St. SW and walk up the steps into the park.
- Admission:
- Free
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A movement is underway petitioning to remove this statue from the Capital grounds due to Watson's association with so many horrible actions and ideals. The movement is opposed by a counter-bill that would require that if any monuments within the city limits of Atlanta are moved, they must be moved to a site equal in "prominence" to the site it is being moved from. In other words, Watson could be moved from the Capital grounds as long as it is moved to another highly visible site. "It belongs in a museum!" wouldn't count.
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Politician, newspaper editor, U.S. senator... Thomas E. Watson flip-flopped during his career from liberal voice of the 99% to angry Nativist who wanted to lynch minorities and reboot the Klan.