I am taking a walk this morning. I walk through my neighborhood across the campus of Agnes Scott College and into Downtown Decatur. My destination is the courthouse, specifically the site where the Confederate monument once stood. I was there several nights ago when workers removed the monument. What's left of the monument is a blank space surrounded with caution tape. As I walk around the area, I notice that something is spray-painted on the now bare space where the monument once stood. I take a few steps closer to get a better view. As I look at the spray painting and stenciling, I see the words, "Protests work, don't give up." A smile comes across my face as I read the words.

I think about how I stood at this courthouse several years ago at a protest. We were here to protest police violence against black people and other people of color. Several speakers directed their attention at the confederate monument several feet from where everyone stood. I always knew that the monument was there. However, I was used to overlooking it. After all, there is one of these in almost every southern town. They put them there a long time ago; it seemed as if there was nothing we could do about it.

Well, I was wrong to have that feeling. There is something we can do about it. There are organizations in our community, namely The Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights and Hate Free Decatur. These organizations worked to have the monument removed. The groundswell of public protests in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks magnified the effort.

The paint in the concrete was a reminder. Yes, protests do work. there was also a word of encouragement, "Don't give up. "

I need to remember that message we turn our attention to other struggles, making sure students of color feel safe and can learn in our schools and defunding the police to serve our community better—these issues matter. The only way we can achieve that success is by making our voices heard.

The Confederate monument was a symbol. They put it there to communicate a message of white supremacy and dominance. The struggle to remove the monument succeeded. More importantly, the success of the protest that demanded its removal is a victory. It's a sign that with more work, more change can come.

More of these confederate monuments must come down.

We nee art in the public square that spreads the message that black lives matter. More art about who we are now.

Black lives matter.

Symbols matters.

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