Barbara Rose Johns Statue For Capitol Hall Set For Final Approval

NJG Newswire

RICHMOND

The Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol will meet this month to approve the statue of Barbara Rose Johns for the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall Collection.

Johns was chosen among five finalists to represent Virginia among the collection of notable historical citizens on display in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Her statue replaces the statue of Robert E. Lee that was removed in December 2020.

On June 18, the Commission will meet and review photographs of the completed bronze statue created by sculptor Steven Weitzman depicting the 20th-century civil rights leader, as well as receive an update regarding the statue’s production. After the statue has been given the final approval from the Commission, the Joint Committee on the Library, and the Architect of the Capitol, it will be installed in the United States Capitol as one of Virginia’s two contributions to the Statuary Hall Collection.

Production of the full-size Johns statue began after the Commission and the Joint Committee on the Library approved the maquette in 2023.

On April 23, 1951, at the age of 16, Barbara Rose Johns led a student strike for equal education opportunities at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia. The student-led strike sparked Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County – one of five cases that formed the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Once installed at the Capitol, Barbara Rose Johns will stand alongside Virginia’s George Washington – as a symbol of courage, action, and change. She brings with her the legacy of the students who walked out with her, the families who endured the closures, and a community whose call for justice helped shape the course of American history.

The meeting agenda, as well as instructions for how to participate virtually and to register for public comment, are available on the Commission’s webpage. Though the meeting agenda includes time for verbal public comment, written comment is also welcomed and can be submitted to USCapitolCommission@dhr.virginia.gov.