The US Capitol is set to welcome two new iconic figures as statues of Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash will replace those of Uriah M. Rose and James Paul Clarke in the National Statuary Hall. Bates, a civil rights journalist and activist known for mentoring the Little Rock Nine, and Cash, the legendary country music icon, were chosen as replacements for the century-old statues of Rose and Clarke.
The decision to replace the statues was made in April 2019 by then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson, with many, including Clarke's great-great-grandson, Democratic state Sen. Clarke Tucker, advocating for the change due to the controversial backgrounds of Rose and Clarke. Rose had remained loyal to Confederate Arkansas during the Civil War, while Clarke had made statements supporting white supremacy.
