Linnentown was a Black neighborhood in Athens whose homes were torn down and families displaced during the 1960s to make space for the high-rise UGA dorms Russell, Brumby, and Creswell Halls. Athens-Clarke County created the Justice and Memory Project to atone for the destruction and harm caused to Linnentown residents. The Walk of Recognition is a collaborative public history and art project led by the Justice and Memory Project and descendants of Linnentown. The project includes a community-led and built mosaic (“Linnentown Mosaic”) to be installed on Finley Street, south of Baxter, to honor and teach about Linnentown where the neighborhood once stood. The University System of Georgia (USG) will not allow the mosaic to be built, claiming they own location and citing “safety concerns,” even though Athens-Clarke County will ensure all safety regulations are met.

We, members of the UGA and Athens community, fully support the creation of Linnentown Mosaic and the Walk of Recognition. This is an important and necessary step to acknowledge our past and prevent future acts of racialized harm. We, the undersigned, ask that USG end their obstruction of the Linnentown Mosaic and Walk of Recognition and allow the project to move forward.