There are some ideas that you just wish you had thought of yourself. After the horrors of Charleston, the social and political world has been embroiled in a controversy over the existence of the confederate flag. Musical acts from all genres and walks of life have voiced their opinion on the symbol itself, from Killer Mike, who declared it a flag that represented “the losers”, to Kid Rock, who defended his use of the flag within his performances. Should we stop at denouncing the flag? Why don’t we look further and seek to remove other Confederate monuments? Stone Mountain, located within Atlanta, is the world’s largest exposed granite monolith, and is uniquely engraved with some of the most influential figures of the Confederate movement.
Instead of petitioning for this monuments removal, an NAACP movement in Atlanta has introduced an incredible idea. How about adding an engraving of Outkast duo, Andre 3000 and Big Boi? These two Atlanta icons are vital to the musical movement within their city, and have influenced generations of Atlanta musicians, from aspiring rappers to budding RnB artists. What better way to stick it to the man than placing these two in a Cadillac, cruising along next to Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Mack Williams, who set up the petition (found on MoveOn.org) definitely makes a valid case for his suggestion:
“By no means do we wish to erase or destroy the current carving, which, regardless of its context, is an impressive and historic work of art,” reads the petition. “We simply wish to add new carvings, of Atlanta hip-hop duo Outkast, to the mountainside. There’s plenty of room.”
As a huge Outkast fan myself, I am fully behind this idea, and by the looks of it, so is Big Boi:
👍RT @ajc: How ‘bout it @bigboi? Two dope boys in a Cadillac — on the side of Stone Mountain? http://t.co/seiEZGsZcs pic.twitter.com/G8srJkbu5S
— Big Boi (@BigBoi) July 15, 2015