Within the sacred halls of the U.S. Capitol building, statues of America’s greatest leaders stand tall to tell the stories of varied chapters in our nation’s history. This week, the Arkansas Congressional Delegation, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Speaker Mike Johnson, and others unveiled a statue of one of Arkansas’ greatest, Daisy Lee Gatson Bates. This was the first time in nearly a hundred years that a statue from the Natural State had been dedicated in the U.S. Capitol. It was an honor to witness such a remarkable occasion.

Originally from Huttig, Arkansas, not far from the Louisiana line, Daisy Bates faced the atrocities of racism from an early age. At only three years old, three white men raped, killed, and dumped her mother into a pond – they were never brought to justice, never held accountable. Fifty-four years later, in an interview, Daisy said, “I was so tight inside, there was so much hate. And I think it started then without me knowing it. It prepared me; it gave me the strength to carry this out.” Fortunately, she channeled her hate and anger into a lifelong motivation to make a difference – to seek justice in a world of injustice.

Daisy Bates was at the center of activism during the Civil Rights movement as a mentor for the Little Rock Nine and a journalist for the Arkansas Weekly, where she told stories of black students across the state. Daisy was a courageous woman. She often spoke about being afraid, afraid of the violence against her and her fellow black Arkansans. She even told the Little Rock Nine, “One of us might die in this fight… if they kill me, you have to go on. If I die, don’t you stop.” We all know that courage does not mean an absence of fear. Yet, true courage, the example of courage Daisy Bates exemplified, is facing our fear, overcoming it, and doing the right thing. 

Mrs. Bates has a remarkable story; now, with her statue in the U.S. Capitol, it will be told for years to come. As people from around the world visit her statue, it will be a semblance of the justice she so faithfully sought—not just for herself but for all.