Beside the Smyrna Museum in Smyrna, Georgia, the Fanny Williams statue offers visitors a chance to engage with a more complete chapter of local history.
Unveiled in November 2024, the memorial honors Williams as an African American woman remembered in Smyrna for activism, economic sustainability and social justice. It also reflects the city’s effort to reinterpret a legacy long overshadowed by the former Aunt Fanny’s Cabin restaurant, which promoted myths and racial stereotypes that did not accurately represent her life.
The memorial grew out of the Fanny Williams Legacy Project, a city initiative launched after Smyrna demolished Aunt Fanny’s Cabin in 2022 and began seeking a more appropriate way to honor Williams. The final design was completed in January 2024 through a collaboration between the city’s committee and lead artist David Wilson, and the statue now stands beside the museum as part of Smyrna’s evolving public history landscape.
The statue stands beside the Smyrna Museum, making it an easy stop for anyone visiting or passing through Smyrna. Together with the museum and the surrounding area, it offers a look at how the city has chosen to remember Williams today and its past.