CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – A statue of Barbara Rose Johns, whose 1,051-student walkout became one of five cases combined into Brown v. Board of Education, was dedicated in National Statuary Hall on Tuesday. It replaces the statue of Robert E. Lee which was taken down in 2020, Sen. Mark Warner announced.

“On April 23, 1951, a 16-year-old Barbara Johns led a walkout of students at the Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia, to protest school segregation and the discriminatory education conditions of Black students. Her courage forced this country to reckon with its conscience on a scale much larger than she ever could have imagined,” Warner. “I’m proud to unveil Barbara Johns’ statue in the U.S. Capitol where she will represent the Commonwealth of Virginia and be recognized for the vital role she played in ending school segregation.”

Under federal law, each state is represented by two statues in National Statuary Hall, selected by the state to honor notable individuals from its history. The Johns statue was recommended by Virginia’s Commission for Historical Statues to replace Virginia’s statue of Robert E. Lee in the U.S. Capitol.

“At the age of 16, Barbara Johns’ refused to accept inequality in our public schools.  Her determination led to the lawsuit Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, which ultimately became part of the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Her strength and unwavering belief in equality and justice helped change the entire nation for the better.  It is hard to think of a better example of a Virginian to represent the Commonwealth in the United States Capitol,” said Rep. Bobby Scott.

Sen. Warner and Rep. Scott are both cosponsors of the Confederate Monument Removal Act, legislation to remove statues of individuals who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from display in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.