Rep. Laura Hall, who played a crucial role in the legislation permitting these statues, emphasized the significance of showcasing the comprehensive history and influence of women.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — This Friday, the Alabama Capitol will see the unveiling of statues honoring two iconic figures: Rosa Parks and Helen Keller. Both women, renowned for their enduring contributions to justice and global change, stand as symbols of inspiration and strength.
These monuments will be the first to honor women on the Alabama Capitol’s lawn. Rosa Parks, a stalwart in the fight against racial segregation, and Helen Keller, an advocate for people with disabilities, represent the state’s rich and diverse history. Their statues will join existing memorials, including several Confederate tributes, at a site where the Confederacy was established in 1861.
Though the Capitol’s interior features a bust of Lurleen Wallace, Alabama’s first female governor who passed away in office in 1968, there were previously no outdoor monuments dedicated to notable women on the Capitol’s grounds.
Rep. Laura Hall, who championed the 2019 legislation for these statues, underscored the importance of visitors gaining a complete understanding of women’s historical roles and impacts at the Capitol.
“Helen Keller and Rosa Parks serve as universal symbols,” Hall remarked. “Regardless of race or political affiliation, everyone can recognize and appreciate the profound impact they have had on history.”
Known as the mother of the modern civil rights movement, Parks was arrested on Dec. 1, 1955 when she refused to leave her bus seat for a white passenger. Her action ignited the yearlong boycott of the segregated city bus system by Black passengers and helped usher in the civil rights movement.
Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. She became deaf and blind after a serious illness shortly before her second birthday. With the help of tutor Anne Sullivan, Keller learned to communicate through sign language and Braille. Keller went on to become a well-known writer and lecturer. She championed the rights of workers, the poor, women, and people with disabilities around the world.
The statue of Parks sits by the Alabama Capitol steps facing Dexter Avenue, the street where Parks boarded the bus and made history in 1955. The statue honoring the civil rights icon sits across from a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
The statue of Keller sits facing the Alabama Statehouse.
The statue presentation on Friday has been more than six years in the making.
Alabama lawmakers in 2019 approved Hall’s legislation to place the monuments to Parks and Keller on the grounds of the state Capitol. The Alabama Women’s Tribute Statue Commission has been quietly at work, commissioning the statues and finalizing the displays.
