The likenesses of music legend Johnny Cash and civil rights icon Daisy Lee Gatson Bates will appear in the hallways of the U.S. Capitol in marble form, replacing two figures from the Civil War. Last week, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, signed a measure to swap out the statutes of individuals from the 19th century for more modern representations of the state. The current statutes of Urah Milton Rose, an attorney who sided with the Confederacy, and James Clarke, a governor of the state who held racist beliefs, are not being removed because of their controversial past, but rather because of a decision by the state "to update the statues with representatives of our more recent history," Hutchinson said in a weekly address. Rose and Clarke has been in the Capitol for nearly 100 years, he said. Details of the swap were first reported by Roll Call. But the debate that swept the nation a few years ago over whether to remove Confederate monuments from public spaces has also played out on Capitol Hill, where several states have statues of Confederates. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has been one of the more high-profile lawmakers to call for the removal of statues that honor the era of slavery. "There is no room for celebrating the violent bigotry of the men of the Confederacy in the hallowed halls of the United States Capitol or in places of honor across the country," she said in 2017. The decision is up to each state. Each is allowed to send two statutes to line the hallways of the Capitol building. Cash, the esteemed country music artist with crossover appeal, hailed from Arkansas. Some state lawmakers were opposed to using Cash to represent the state in Washington because of his troubled past, according to the Arkansas Times. "Mr. Cash is a great musician . . . but the drugs, the alcohol, the women, that kind of thing . . . no, I can't hold him up to my children as a model," state Rep. Doug House, a Republican, said. The measure passed. Bates played an integral role in the desegregation of schools in Arkansas, including guiding the black children known as the Little Rock Nine as they attempted to enroll in an all-white school. "The history of the civil rights struggle in Arkansas is an essential part of our story that says much about courage and who we are as a state," Hutchinson said. "Daisy Bates was a key person in that story. She continues to inspire us." “Music is a big deal in Arkansas, and Johnny Cash is a big deal in music,” he continued. “Those two great historic figures who made such a difference in Arkansas in their own way are appropriate people to tell part of the story of Arkansas in our nation’s Capitol.”<doc-sep>The current statues of Uriah Milton Rose, an attorney who sided with the Confederacy, and James P. Clarke, a governor of the state who held racist beliefs, are not being removed because of their controversial past, but rather because of a decision by the state “to update the statues with representatives of our more recent history,” Hutchinson said in a weekly address. The statues of Rose and Clarke have been in the Capitol for nearly 100 years, he said.<doc-sep>Statues of music legend Johnny Cash and civil rights icon Daisy Lee Gatson Bates will replace two Confederate figures on Capitol Hill. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) this month signed a law calling for the statues of Arkansas attorney Uriah Milton Rose and former Arkansas Gov. James Paul Clarke to be replaced in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Hutchinson said in a weekly address that the change was being made “to update the statues with representatives of our more recent history.” ADVERTISEMENT The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which first reported the swap last week, noted that Rose and Clarke are controversial figures. Clarke, a former United States senator and governor of the state, reportedly held segregationist views. Rose was an attorney who sided with the Confederacy. Arkansas lawmakers have been pushing for years to replace the statues, according to the Democrat-Gazette. Each state is allowed to send two statues to line the hallways of the Capitol. According to The Washington Post, once the statues of Rose and Clarke are removed, 11 sculptures of men with ties to the Confederacy will remain in the collection. Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiGOP leaders face new calls to boot Greene Biden, Bass press for police reform after meeting Floyd family Kinzinger calls for Greene to be removed from GOP conference after Holocaust remark MORE (D-Calif.) is one of the more high-profile lawmakers to call for the removal of statues that honor the era of slavery. “There is no room for celebrating the violent bigotry of the men of the Confederacy in the hallowed halls of the United States Capitol or in places of honor across the country,” she said in 2017. Cash, a country music artist with crossover success, was from Arkansas. "We're especially honored that a statue of my dad has been chosen to represent Arkansas in our nation's Capitol," Cash's daughter Rosanne Cash said during Hutchinson's address last week. Daisy Lee Gatson Bates played an integral role in the desegregation of schools in Arkansas, including mentoring the African American children known as the Little Rock Nine. Bates's goddaughter also praised the change, saying, "It looks like the state of Arkansas is shining down on one of its darling daughters today. "To have her being recognized by millions of people all over the world, this is something that will resonate and will help improve our state," she said. "It's all about us joining together and making a difference, and Daisy Bates truly made a difference."<doc-sep>The Man in Black lives on -- and not only through his music. A statue of country music legend Johnny Cash has been chosen, along with prominent civil rights leader Daisy Gatson Bates, to represent the state of Arkansas in the National Statuary Hall of the Capitol Building – taking the place of two contentious Confederate-era figures. “Almost everyone who was involved in the discussion agreed we needed to update the statues with representatives of our more recent history,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson stated upon signing the bill to make the changes last week. “But there were many opinions about which historic figures best represented our state. The debate was lively and healthy.” FLORIDA CITY DISMANTLES, RELOCATES CONFEDERATE STATUE In the end, Cash and Bates were declared the winners to replace the statues of Uriah Rose and James Paul Clarke, which have reigned in the Capitol for over a century. Rose served as head of the American Bar Association and stood up against secession during the Civil War, but the attorney maintained his adherence to the Confederate state of Arkansas. Meanwhile, Clarke was the 18th governor of the state and later served as Senate representative but attracted opposition last year with claims he advocated white supremacy. Cash, who died in 2003 at 71 years old, spent decades in the limelight as one of country music’s greatest icons with hits such as “I Walk the Line” and “Folsom Prison Blues.” Moreover, Bates is celebrated as a renowned activist and writer who guided nine children that went on to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957. JOHN RICH SPEAKS OUT ON LIL NAS X’S ‘OLD TOWN ROAD’ AFTER BILLY RAY CYRUS HOPS ON REMIX: ‘LET THE FANS DECIDE’ “This is an extraordinary moment recognizing the contributions of two incredible Arkansans,” Hutchinson added. “We want our memories, through our statues, to tell the story of Arkansas. I believe our story is represented well by these two historic figures.” GET THE FOX NEWS APP Each state is entitled to two statues of historical figures to be displayed in the Capitol Building.<doc-sep>
(CNN) — Country music legend Johnny Cash and civil rights leader Daisy Gatson Bates will soon be immortalized as statues in the US Capitol building, replacing two controversial Confederate-era figures. Each state is allowed to keep two statues of historical figures in the National Statuary Hall of the Capitol Building, and Bates and Cash will represent Arkansas. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a bill last week, replacing the state’s current statues of U.M. Rose and James Paul Clarke with individuals the legislature felt better represented Arkansas’s modern history. “Most everyone who was involved in the discussion agreed we needed to update the statues with representatives of our more recent history. But there were many opinions about which historic figures best represented our state,” Hutchinson said in a press release. “The debate was lively and healthy. In the end, the Senate chose Daisy Lee Gatson Bates and Johnny Cash.” The addition of Bates and Cash represents the state’s history involving the civil rights movement and music, Hutchinson said. “Those two great historic figures who made such a difference in Arkansas in their own way are appropriate people to tell part of the story of Arkansas in our nation’s Capitol,” Hutchinson said. The statues of Rose and Clarke have been in the Capitol for more than 100 years. Rose, a prominent lawyer who served as head of the American Bar Association, opposed secession during the Civil War but remained loyal to Arkansas, a Confederate state. Clarke was the state’s 18th governor and later represented Arkansas in the US Senate. Clarke’s descendants called for the removal of his statue last year, citing the former politician’s belief in white supremacy. Other Confederate-era statues remain in the Capitol, including the former president of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis and General Robert E. Lee.