Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

BumRushDaShow

(165,874 posts)
Tue Dec 16, 2025, 08:17 AM Dec 16

US Capitol statue of teen civil rights leader Barbara Rose Johns to fill Robert E. Lee's place

Source: AP

Updated 12:02 AM EST, December 16, 2025


Starting Tuesday, the U.S. Capitol will display 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 unveiling ceremony of the statue representing Virginia in the Capitol will take place in Emancipation Hall, featuring Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Virginia’s congressional delegation.

Johns was 16 years old in 1951 when she led a student strike for equal education at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia. The students’ cause gained the support of NAACP lawyers, who filed a lawsuit that would become one of the five cases that the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed in Brown v. Board of Education. The high court’s landmark 1954 decision declared “separate but equal” public schools unconstitutional.

Johns later married the Rev. William Powell and became Barbara Rose Johns Powell, raised five children and was a librarian in the Philadelphia Public Schools. She died at 56 in 1991.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/barbara-rose-johns-statue-capitol-7601aed0b9b6a6ab1f307b1ccccd289f



The below is a scale model of what will replace the traitor Lee's statue in the Capitol Statuary Hall - https://encyclopediavirginia.org/ms-johns-goes-to-washington/


Maquette of Barbara Johns statue by Steven Weitzman. Photo by Julie Langan courtesy of
the Virginia Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol.


45 will probably direct MAGA Mike to remove it as "DEI" after it is unveiled, and then put the traitor back, not caring what VA thinks.
13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
US Capitol statue of teen civil rights leader Barbara Rose Johns to fill Robert E. Lee's place (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Dec 16 OP
I'll bet it stays. marble falls Dec 16 #1
No better than even money at best. flashman13 Dec 16 #12
This is Great!!! wolfie001 Dec 16 #2
I don't understand how this is happening MadameButterfly Dec 16 #3
Each state gets two statues and the states decide who they are of dsc Dec 16 #4
That makes sense. Virginia legislature just went Democratic MadameButterfly Dec 16 #5
The article linked in the OP comments briefly summarized what they did - this was decided in 2020 BumRushDaShow Dec 16 #8
That's Got To Bother Younkin Deep State Witch Dec 16 #6
Not to mention Johnson. Aristus Dec 16 #7
Lee was removed in the 2020/2021 period BumRushDaShow Dec 16 #9
Sounds kinda woke and DEI to me. Will Trump have it removed? Ocelot II Dec 16 #10
How did this get by Trump and his merry band of MAGAts? Martin68 Dec 16 #11
We'll see, don't hold your breath... Fil1957 Dec 16 #13

flashman13

(2,040 posts)
12. No better than even money at best.
Tue Dec 16, 2025, 10:42 AM
Dec 16

Lee might not be back, but Trump will find some white Repug man to replace Barbara Johns.

wolfie001

(7,101 posts)
2. This is Great!!!
Tue Dec 16, 2025, 08:25 AM
Dec 16

But the fat orange imbecile will have a conniption fit over it. Most racist and hateful US pResident in our history. More racist than Andrew Jackson who is a distant second.

MadameButterfly

(3,746 posts)
3. I don't understand how this is happening
Tue Dec 16, 2025, 08:47 AM
Dec 16

under the current politics with the characters involved, but udos to the artist, not only for the expressive qualities but the feat of physics. I didn't know you could have a long skinny arm holding a big book. I guess there is steel in there and enough weight in the pedestal to stabilize it. Amazing.

dsc

(53,323 posts)
4. Each state gets two statues and the states decide who they are of
Tue Dec 16, 2025, 09:31 AM
Dec 16

I think it is the Congressional delegation chooses but the article makes it sound like the governor does.

BumRushDaShow

(165,874 posts)
8. The article linked in the OP comments briefly summarized what they did - this was decided in 2020
Tue Dec 16, 2025, 09:45 AM
Dec 16

The article is from 2023 - https://encyclopediavirginia.org/ms-johns-goes-to-washington/

The other statue for VA in the Hall is of the native Virginian - former President Gen. George Washington.

Deep State Witch

(12,576 posts)
6. That's Got To Bother Younkin
Tue Dec 16, 2025, 09:41 AM
Dec 16

Replacing Lee with a civil rights pioneer. That's got to frost his nuts.

BumRushDaShow

(165,874 posts)
9. Lee was removed in the 2020/2021 period
Tue Dec 16, 2025, 09:48 AM
Dec 16
https://encyclopediavirginia.org/ms-johns-goes-to-washington/

The commission recommended in December 2020 that the statue of Robert E. Lee in Statuary Hall be replaced. The Lee statue was subsequently removed and retired to the Lost Cause exhibit at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.


(this was around the time of the George Floyd/BLM protests)
Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»US Capitol statue of teen...