2021.02.04 Gwinnett County Confederate Monument, Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States of america

In 1993, the United Daughters of the Confederacy obtained permission to place a monument on the grounds of the county courthouse. The resulting work was dedicated to local men who fought in the Confederate armed forces.

In addition to an early design of the Confederate flag, the monument included a quote misattributed to Sir Winston Churchill. The quote is actually an amalgamation of statements by Dean Boggs, a late member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

In the summer of 2020, Commissioner Kirkland Carden petitioned for the monument’s removal; several legal suits followed. The Sons of Confederate Veterans filed a motion claiming ownership rights of the monument.

Throughout 2020 the monument was vandalized several times, including on Thanksgiving Day. In January 2021 via unanimous decision, the County Board of Commissioners voted to remove the monument, citing increasing concern for its preservation with continued protests. The monument was removed in early February 2021.