US EditionUS Capitol statue of teen civil rights leader Barbara Rose Johns to fill Robert E. Lee’s place
Barbara Rose Johns, a 16-year-old civil rights leader, replaces Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in the U.S. Capitol, marking a shift in Virginia's historical representation.
- On Dec. 16, a statue of Barbara Rose Johns was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol, replacing a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in the National Statuary Hall Collection.
- Virginia requested Lee's removal in 2020 amid nationwide reckoning after George Floyd's killing, and the Virginia Commission on Historical Statues, chaired by Sen. L. Louise Lucas, selected Johns from more than 80 write-ins.
- The bronze, created by Steven Weitzman, depicts Johns as a 16‑year‑old holding a worn book aloft beside a pedestal quoting Scripture, donated to the National Statuary Hall Collection this year.
- A crowd in Emancipation Hall included about 200 Johns family members, one of the largest statue unveiling turnouts, and House Speaker Mike Johnson praised Johns as a trailblazer.
- Her presence in the Capitol elevates a civil‑rights legacy while experts note modern segregation remains an issue, as Johns' 1951 strike helped start Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, part of Brown v. Board of Education.
118 Articles
118 Articles
At US Capitol, Teen Civil Rights Icon Takes Confederate's Spot
The US Capitol on Tuesday began displaying a statue of a teenaged Barbara Rose Johns as she protested poor conditions at her segregated Virginia high school, a pointed replacement for a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was removed several years ago, the AP reports. An unveiling ceremony...
Headlines from across the state: Her 1951 walkout helped end school segregation. Now Barbara Johns’ statue is in the U.S. Capitol; more …
Here are some of the top headlines from other news outlets around Virginia. Some content may be behind a metered paywall: Culture: Her 1951 walkout helped end school segregation. Now Barbara Johns’ statue is in the U.S. Capitol. — NPR. Economy: Virginia regulators weigh expanded use of data centers’ polluting generators. — Virginia Mercury. Education: Virginia Department of Education projects K-12 schools will need $1.2 billion over next two yea…
Statue of Black Teen Who Fought Segregation Replaces Robert E. Lee at U.S. Capitol
The symbolism was hard to miss: In the halls of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, the statue of a Black teenager who fought against segregation replaced a Confederate general who fought to preserve slavery.
U.S. Capitol unveils Barbara Rose Johns statue, replacing Robert E. Lee
An statue of Barbara Rose Johns, a Black teenage girl who protested segregation, has been unveiled at the U.S. Capitol, four years after Virginia selected the civil rights icon to represent the state.
Who Was Barbara Rose Johns? Teen Activist Whose Statue Replaced Robert E. Lee At U.S. Capitol
Source: The Washington Post / Getty On Dec. 16, a statue honoring Barbara Rose Johns—a Black teenager whose courage reshaped American education—was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol. In 1951, Johns led a student walkout at her segregated Virginia high school, a bold act that helped dismantle school segregation nationwide. The unveiling marked a powerful shift in historical memory: her statue replaced that of Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee. Ac…
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