WASHINGTON β A bronze statue of civil rights leader Barbara Rose Johns was unveiled Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol, honoring the teenager who sparked a pivotal moment in the fight for school desegregation.
The 8-foot statue depicts Johns holding a book and will stand in the Capitol's Statuary Hall, representing Virginia alongside George Washington. Johns becomes only the 15th woman represented in Statuary Hall and only the third teenager or child, joining Sacagawea and Helen Keller.
At age 16 in 1951, Johns led a walkout at her all-Black high school in Farmville, Virginia, to protest poor conditions. Her student-led movement eventually became a lawsuit that reached the U.S. Supreme Court and became part of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. It was the only case in that historic ruling that stemmed from a student-led movement.
Johns passed away in 1991, but over 200 of her family members attended Tuesday's unveiling ceremony.
The statue replaces that of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, which stood in the Capitol crypt for over a century until its removal in 2020 amid nationwide protests following George Floyd's death.
Several speakers at the ceremony drew parallels between what Lee's statue represented and the message visitors will now receive when they see Johns in his place.
"It was her strength that and unwavering belief in equality and justice that helped change the entire nation for the better," said Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03). "So, it is hard to think of a better Virginian to represent the Commonwealth in the United States Capitol."
"We are truly grateful that this magnificent monument to her story, the sacrifices that her family and our community made may continue to inspire and teach others that no matter what, you, too, can reach for the moon," said Terry Harrison, Johns' daughter.
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