The statue has recently been the subject of controversy, as several groups have called for its removal due to Grady's support of white supremacy.

As editor of the Atlanta Constitution, Grady coined the term "New South" to describe his idea for the Southern United States to develop a more mixed and industrialized economy in the post-Civil War world.

Notable donators included Isadore Strauss, Andrew Carnegie, Tammany Hall, and the Singer Sewing Machine Company.

[5] The statue was located adjacent to the U.S. Post Office and Customs House, which for a time would serve as Atlanta City Hall.

[5] In the editorial, the writers point out Grady's support of white supremacy, including racist headlines and stories published during his editorship of the Atlanta Constitution, his support for alleged Ku Klux Klan leader John Brown Gordon as Governor of Georgia, and his stance against suffrage for African Americans.