Decatur Living - End of Year 20

Hope

/ BLM THEN AND NOW

by Breya Rodgers

Making Decatur Even Greater, Together Continuing to flourish as a community DURING A CHAOTIC YEAR brimming with tragedy and tremendous uncertainty, former Decatur Mayor Elizabeth Wilson is hopeful. As the first woman and first Black mayor of Decatur, Wilson remembers how much has changed saying, “It was so different when I lived in Decatur, it was so separate.”

Despite ongoing racial inequities and the global turmoil of 2020, Wilson is heartened by the next generation. “I am very pleased seeing young people get involved to make a difference in the community,” she says.

Wilson’s sense of hope seems to be a shared sentiment. As #BlackLivesMatter trended on social media in the wake of world-wide protests against police brutality and racial injustice, the Decatur community sought to understand and address the anguish.

“My hopes for our community are rooted in the struggle to maintain economic and racial diversity,” said City Commissioner Tony Powers. “We need to be intentional to have a community that welcomes differing faces and views, welcoming the young and old … My hope is we all listen to each other and work together to continue a collaborative effort in this city to build community.”

That hope and collaboration manifested in a Black Lives Matter mural on North McDonough Street in Decatur. Following the removal of a divisive Confederate obelisk in Decatur Square in June, Powers recalls requests from several residents, “young and old, Black and White,” to implement social change. The city commission allocated $50,000 to address community concerns, with a portion of those funds to be used for a public art project per residents’ requests.

Together with artists’ supervision, the mural was envisioned and completed by the community. “I’m extremely happy with the finished project,” Powers says.

Local businesswomen and store owners, Bunnie Hilliard and Ty Jenkins describe experiencing the collective goodwill of residents and an outpouring of support. With the popularity of #SupportBlackBusiness on social media, people around the country began focusing their purchasing power towards Black-owned businesses.

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