A statue of Barbara Rose Johns, known for leading a student walkout against segregation in 1951, has been installed in the U.S. Capitol. The bronze statue, unveiled on Tuesday, replaces one of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, marking a change in historical representation for the state of Virginia.
Statue Placement and Context
The 11-foot bronze statue of Barbara Rose Johns is located in Emancipation Hall within the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Each U.S. state is represented by two statues in the Capitol. Historically, Virginia's two statues were of George Washington and Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
Lee's statue was removed from the Capitol in December 2020, following a request from then-Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. This removal occurred during a period that saw the removal of numerous Confederate symbols across the United States. In the same month, Virginia's Commission on Historical Statues in the United States Capitol unanimously selected Barbara Johns from a list of candidates to replace Lee. Johns, who died in 1991, was chosen from a list that included Pocahontas and Maggie Lena Walker.
The statue, created by Maryland artist Steven Weitzman, depicts a teenage Johns at a podium, holding a book. Its pedestal is inscribed with the quote: "Are we going to just accept these conditions, or are we going to do something about it?"
The unveiling ceremony was attended by state leaders and members of Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) also issued a statement acknowledging Johns' actions prior to the event.
The 1951 Student Walkout
In 1951, at age 16, Barbara Rose Johns organized a student walkout at the segregated Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia. The protest aimed to address the school's overcrowded conditions and its facilities, which students considered inadequate compared to the white high school in the town.
Johns was born in New York City in March 1935 and later moved to Prince Edward County, Virginia, during World War II. She observed the limited resources at Moton High School, which included classrooms in tar-paper shacks without plumbing, and a lack of dedicated science laboratories, a cafeteria, or a gymnasium. According to an unpublished memoir, a teacher's response to her concerns led her to consider organizing a strike. She coordinated with student council members to plan the action.
On April 23, 1951, Johns assembled approximately 450 students in the auditorium and led them in a walkout. The strike, which sought a new school building, continued for approximately two weeks and drew the attention of the NAACP.
Legal Impact and Civil Rights
NAACP attorneys Spottswood Robinson and Oliver Hill filed a lawsuit, Davis et al. v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, Virginia, challenging segregated education in the county. While the initial federal court decision favored the county, it mandated physical equality between Black and white schools. As a result, a new Black Moton High School, referred to as "Moton 2," was constructed in 1953.
The Farmville case became one of five cases consolidated into Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Enforcement of this ruling across the U.S., particularly in Virginia, encountered delays, with Virginia implementing a series of anti-integration laws known as "Massive Resistance." Prince Edward County schools eventually integrated in 1964, following a five-year closure initiated to prevent desegregation. Moton 2 later reopened as Prince Edward County High School, operating until 1993. Johns' student strike in 1951 preceded later civil rights actions such as the Greensboro sit-ins and the Montgomery bus boycott.
Johns' Later Life and Recognition
Following the walkout, Barbara Rose Johns moved to Alabama to complete her education with relatives for safety reasons. She attended Spelman College and graduated from Drexel University. She subsequently worked as a librarian for Philadelphia Public Schools, married the Rev. William Powell, and had five children. Johns died at age 56 in 1991.
Johns has received various recognitions in Virginia:
- Her narrative is a mandated component of public school curricula.
- In 2017, the Virginia Attorney General's Offices were renamed in her honor.
- In 2018, the Virginia General Assembly designated April 23, the anniversary of the walkout, as Barbara Johns Day statewide.
Johns' sister, Joan Johns Cobbs, has expressed that the family regards the U.S. Capitol tribute as an honor.
Broader Monument Discussions
The placement of Johns' statue occurs within a broader national context concerning public monuments. In October, a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike was reinstalled in a Washington D.C. park, five years after its removal by protestors.