Statues of civil rights activist Rosa Parks and disability rights activist Helen Keller are scheduled to be dedicated on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol in late October.
Members of the Alabama Women’s Tribute Statue Commission on Wednesday discussed a planned unveiling at the Capitol grounds on Oct. 24, with a guest list of 214 that will include “individuals, families, stakeholders and partner organizations. The ceremony will be held in the Capitol Auditorium, with Gov. Kay Ivey providing the opening remarks, before the unveiling of the statues.
“(I) want to say how excited I am as we meet. That means that we are one meeting shorter than we would have been before Oct. 24 and the unveiling. So I want to say thank you. Thank you. Thank you to all who’ve played a major role in bringing us up to this point,” said commission chair Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, who sponsored the legislation that led to the creation of the statues.
The commission is overseeing the installation of statues of Keller and Parks on the grounds of the Capitol, the first monuments on the Capitol grounds to depict Alabama women.
The statue of Parks should be placed on the Alabama State Capitol steps, near the main entrance of the building, facing those coming up the stairs to the Capitol. The Keller statue will be to the left of the back entrance, facing the current Statehouse. That building is expected to be demolished after a new statehouse is completed and is expected to be replaced by green space.