La Familia De Pie Statue and Renaissance Park

After moving downtown, Renaissance Park on Old Fourth Ward became my favorite place for my dog and me to go for walks, connect with nature, and meet new people and fur friends. Henry Moore’s “La Familia De Pie’s
Sculpture adds a unique, vibrant, three-dimensional touch to the park’s scenery, especially at night. When I view this timeless sculpture, I feel a sense of connectivity between myself and the natural world. I love when the sun radiates through the tall trees, putting me in a peaceful, euphoric mood. Me and Renaissance park grew a firm connection before I moved in with my brother. Like today, I would listen to meditation music and take walks through the park.

During my first years of learning at GSU, I became fascinated with art history and sculptures. Henry Moore’s “La Familia De Pie” sculpture expresses humanity as part of nature. However, I have no clue how it shares significance with renaissance park today.

Before Renaissance park’s existence, Buttermilk Bottom slum, an African American neighborhood centered on Atlanta Civic Center during the 1960s, now stands in the Old Fourth Ward. Considered a slum area, Buttermilk Bottom had unpaved streets and no electricity.¹ “Black Bottom” coined its name because the downward slope of the sewers in the area caused the backed-up water to have a buttermilk smell.