The US Capitol will soon officially welcome two new, iconic figures. A statue of Daisy Bates, a civil rights journalist and activist who is perhaps best known for her role as a mentor to the Little Rock Nine – a group of Black students who were the first to desegregate schools and break Arkansas’ color barrier – is replacing one of Uriah M.

Officials plan to install an 8-foot tall statue of musician Johnny Cash later this year.

Daisy Bates, a civil rights leader, and Johnny Cash, the world-renowned singer, are set to represent Arkansas in Statuary Hall, the Capitol’s main exhibition space, featuring two statues from every state.

Arkansas lawmakers made a remarkable decision to replace the statues representing the state at the U.S. Capitol. The existing sculptures, obscure figures from the state’s history, had stood there for over a century without much recognition.

Statues of civil rights leader Daisy Bates and country singer Johnny Cash — two of Arkansas’ most celebrated icons — are headed to Washington, D.C., to represent the state in a U.S. Capitol display. (