Five years ago, Arkansas lawmakers made the decision to replace the statues representing the state at the U.S. Capitol, facing little objection to removing the existing sculptures, which had been obscure figures in the state’s history for over a century. The state will soon be represented by civil rights leader Daisy Bates and musician Johnny Cash.
Bates, who led the state NAACP, famously mentored the Black students known as the Little Rock Nine, pivotal in the 1957 integration of Central High School, and is honored with a downtown street in Little Rock named after her.
Cash, who was born in Kingsland and passed away in 2003, boasts achievements including 90 million records sold worldwide across various genres, leading to his induction into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Plans are underway to install Bates’ statue this week and Cash’s later this year.
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