Civil Rights Icon Daisy Bates Honored With Statue In US Capitol

Source: Afro Newspaper/Gado / Getty

The late great Civil Rights leader and journalist Daisy Bates was honored with a statue unveiled Wednesday in the U.S. Capitol.

According to Reuters, the bronze statue depicts Bates with a newspaper in one hand and a notebook and pen in the other, signifying her legacy as a respected media and civil rights leader. The statue will be joined by famed Arkansas singer Johnny Cash later this year. The two statues will replace little-known figures from Arkansas 18th and 19th centuries, respectfully. 

Daisy Bates was a journalist and activist whose efforts organizing the Little Rock Nine were critical to the integration of schools across the country.

Today she became the second Black American to represent a state in the National Statuary Hall collection in the U.S. Capitol. pic.twitter.com/L3a8ywz0sp

— James E. Clyburn (@RepJamesClyburn) May 8, 2024

“I remember giving tours to constituents from Arkansas, to young people, and I would point out the two representatives in Statuary Hall in our United States Capitol from Arkansas,” said former Gov. Asa Hutchinson. “And they would say, ‘We’ve never heard of them.’”

Interestingly, Bate’s statue faces Rosa Parks’ statue, which is at the other end of Statuary Hall.

Source: Afro Newspaper/Gado / Getty

Daisy Bates died in 1999 at the age of 84. 

Bates and her husband published a newspaper in Arkansas dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement.

From ABC News:

Bates, who headed the state NAACP, mentored the Black students known as the Little Rock Nine who integrated Central High School in 1957. She is a well-known civil rights figure in Arkansas, where a downtown street in the capital, Little Rock, is named in her honor. The state also marks Daisy Bates Day on Presidents Day.

Benjamin Victor, the Idaho sculptor who created the statue of Bates, told ABC News he hopes the statue will bring more visitors to the U.S. Capitol so they can learn about Bates and her contributions to the cause.

“I hope it really first and foremost inspires them to study Daisy Bates’ life and legacy,” Victor said. “A big part of it is to capture that spirit of hers and inspire others to do the same and stand up for what’s right.”

For those unfamiliar with Daisy Bates, King highlighted her pivotal role as the president of the Arkansas NAACP. He recounted how Bates and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund were instrumental in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954. Bates further made history when she led the charge for the integration of Little Rock Central High School in 1957, a significant moment in the Civil Rights Movement.

To learn more about Daisy Bates and the foundation dedicated to preserving her legacy, interested individuals can visit daisybatesmuseum.org.

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