Ellex Swavoni is the first artist to be commissioned by the Art for the People, a public art project of the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights, Decatur Makers, and the City of Decatur.

“What Sonia Says” is a tribute to the strength, heroism, and resilience of Black communities, especially the Black women who form the backbone of those communities.

Art for the People commissioned “What Sonia Said” to challenge the narrative of structural racism. The project aims to reflect the voices of people of color, advocate for social justice and equity, and lift up themes of racial reckoning, resistance, survival, healing, affirmation, and radical imagination.

Historic Beacon Hill, once the center of Decatur’s vibrant Black community, is the permanent home of “What Sonia Said”. The statue can be found on Trinity Place, in front of the City Schools of Decatur building and behind Ebster Recreation Center.

Pictures from the unveiling of “What Sonia Said” on 09/12/2021.