DeKalb GA News

State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) has introduced House Resolution 1351, proposing the renaming of “Memorial Drive” to “Veterans Memorial Drive.” The resolution, supported by each member of the DeKalb Delegation, aims to honor all U.S. veterans with the new name.

Oliver emphasized the importance of the name change, stating, “Citizens of Fulton and DeKalb counties do not want to name one of its main thoroughfares to honor the Confederacy.” She added, “Memorial Drive links our State Capitol to a Confederate memorial, known for much of the last century to be a symbol of the Ku Klux Klan and the Lost Cause. It is time for the State of Georgia to change the name of Memorial Drive. We, therefore, propose to rename the road as Veterans Memorial Drive in honor of all veterans, not just Confederate soldiers.”

The history of Memorial Drive dates back to its original name, East Fair Street, one of the oldest roads in Atlanta. In the 1920s, during a period of legalized racial segregation, The Stone Mountain Memorial Association extended East Fair Street, connecting it to Stone Mountain and naming it Stone Mountain Memorial Drive. By 1930, the state officially designated “East Fair Street” as “Memorial Drive,” creating a 15-mile route from the Georgia State Capitol to the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial.

If passed, House Resolution 1351 would designate the entirety of State Route 10, State Route 154, and Memorial Drive in Fulton and DeKalb counties as Veterans Memorial Drive. The resolution seeks to honor the achievements and sacrifices of all United States veterans, not solely those of the Confederacy.