A statue of the late civil rights leader John Lewis will replace a confederate monument outside of a courthouse in Dekalb County, Georgia, after unanimous approval from the board of commissioners, reports say.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the vote came Friday (Jan.22), and states that a resolution approved by the county recognized that the spot outside of the courthouse grounds, in the suburban Atlanta city of Decatur, is “the most fitting” place for the new Lewis statue. 

According to CNN, Commissioner Davis Johnson recognized John Lewis a “giant of a man, with a humble heart.”

RELATED: Georgia Legislature Is Making An Effort To Replace A Confederate Statue With One Of John Lewis

"He met no strangers and he truly was a man who loved the people and who loved his country which he represented very well,” he told the news outlet. “He deserves this honor.” 

For more than 30 years, the congressman represented the Atlanta-area, including parts of Dekalb County, until losing his battle with pancreatic cancer in July 2020. He was 80. 

The 30-foot Confederate statue ― titled “The Lost Cause” –– was removed in June after standing outside the courthouse for 112 years. 

"The Confederate obelisk has become an increasingly frequent target of graffiti and vandalism, a figurative lightning rod for friction among citizens, and a potential catastrophe that could happen at any time if individuals attempt to forcibly remove or destroy it," Judge Clarence Seeliger said in a ruling.

Details about the John Lewis memorial's design and installation have not been announced, Huffington Post notes.