Sanders Delivers Remarks at the Unveiling of the Daisy Lee Gatson Bates Statue in Statuary HallS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered remarks at the unveiling of the Daisy Lee Gatson Bates Statue in Statuary Hall on Wednesday, May 8th.

The Governor’s remarks as prepared are below:

It is a privilege to be here in our nation’s Capitol to represent the State of Arkansas and honor one of our state’s finest, Daisy Gatson Bates. Thank you to Arkansas’ congressional delegation and congressional leadership from both sides of the aisle for being here. It’s also great to see so many friendly faces in the crowd. That’s not always the norm for D.C., but no surprise that, even though she is gone, Daisy is still bringing people together.  

I can’t think of a better way to elevate this program than with singers from two of Arkansas’ HBCUs – UAPB and Philander Smith. Both schools were at the center of activism during the Civil Rights Era – and today, one of them sits on Daisy Gatson Bates Drive in Little Rock. 

 We’re also here with many of Bates’ family and friends, and the President of the Daisy Bates Museum – living reminders that, though Daisy is no longer with us, her legacy and impact live on. 

I’m privileged enough to have met Daisy Bates. I’m a Little Rock Central High Class of 2000 graduate – the same school that Bates helped desegregate. We remember – rightly – the heroism of the Little Rock Nine who first desegregated Central. And we also remember that always right there with them was Daisy, one moment privately comforting those brave students, the next, publicly confronting Arkansas’ most powerful politicians. 

In 1997, my dad, then-Governor Mike Huckabee, joined then-President Bill Clinton to ceremonially open the doors of Central to the Little Rock Nine. One of my most vivid memories from growing up: thousands cheering in the crowd, media from all over the world – and up on the dais with the President, Governor, and Mayor, Daisy, in her rightful place of honor. 

But as much as I look back on that day in 1997 with fond memories, we can never forget the scene from forty years earlier. The crowds weren’t cheering, they were booing. The President had taken control of the National Guard. The Governor promised to shut the school down before he integrated it. 

The nine students were harassed, hurt, and haunted. Daisy Bates’ home was vandalized repeatedly. Bates herself was arrested. In a similar situation, most of us would’ve chosen anger and bitterness, even called for retaliation. 

But Bates didn’t. She didn’t arm the students with hate but instead with hope. She didn’t use her house to plan revenge, but instead made it a safe haven for black students. 

There was a fire inside this woman, but she didn’t use it to burn our state down. Instead, she used it to bring light to our state’s darkest corners. 

Today, it can be hard to imagine those hot September days of 1957 and the burning anger some felt toward their fellow Arkansans. It reminds me of a visit I made with my parents when I was 11, to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel’s memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. 

I remember walking through those halls, seeing the unspeakable brutality committed during that dark time. And I remember at the end, pulling my father’s pen out of his shirt pocket, and signing Yad Vashem’s guest book. After writing my name and address, I wrote, “Why didn’t somebody do something?” It’s a question that still haunts me. 

Back in 1957, thankfully somebody did do something: Daisy Bates. She stood up to injustice. Amid all the hate and anger, she moved our state forward.

Daisy was the picture of courage, being willing to take on the fight because it was right, not because she knew she could win.  

Arkansans take a lot of pride in where we come from – the pioneers and patriots who built our state, the activists and advocates who changed it for the better. Daisy is one of those heroes. It’s why my dad established Daisy Gatson Bates Day, why we have Daisy Bates Elementary, Daisy Bates Drives and Daisy Bates scholarships.  

But outside of Arkansas, Bates is less well known – and it’s time to change that. This beautiful statue and this ceremony are a great place to start. Long after we’ve all retired from politics, Daisy will be standing here in these marble halls – reminding everyone of the long, difficult march it took to get us to this moment, and the importance of continuing that march forward. 

As you would expect, Daisy said it best when she said it herself: “Arkansas is the home of my birth, my growth, my identity as a woman in this world. It has claimed me from birth, I have claimed it for life.” Daisy has always claimed Arkansas andwe are proud to claim her back and have her represent all of us here in this special place.  

As Governor, and on behalf of the entire state of Arkansas, Daisy Bates makes us proud. Thank you, and may God bless the great State of Arkansas. 

Westerman delivers remarks at unveiling of Daisy Bates statue in U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) delivered remarks at the unveiling of a statue of civil rights activist and journalist Daisy Bates in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.

Congressman Westerman's remarks, as delivered:

“Imagine, as an eight-year-old girl, you learn that years before, your mother had been raped, murdered, and dumped in a pond. That was young Daisy Gatson Bates’ story in the small town of Huttig, Arkansas, not far from the Louisiana line.

On top of that, imagine you learn the white men who did this to your black mother were never brought to justice - never held accountable – how would you feel?

Fifty-four years later, in an interview, she 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, Daisy Bates took the advice of her dying adopted father and channeled her anger and hate into a lifelong motivation to make a difference, to seek justice in a world where there was injustice.

Ben Victor, the sculptor of the statue, when asked, ‘what stands out to you most about Daisy Bates?’ He replied, ‘her courage really stands out to me. I’ve depicted her in motion because she was a woman with a cause. She is smiling, showing her optimism in the face of great adversity. And of course, her role as a journalist and publisher are highlighted by the pen and notepad in her right hand and the newspaper in the left.’

Daisy bates was a courageous woman. She often spoke about being afraid. Afraid when rocks were being thrown through her window. Afraid that a bomb or assassination could happen. Afraid when she told the Little Rock Nine, quote ‘one of us might die in this fight. And I said to them, if they kill me, you would have to go on. If I die, don’t you stop.’

We know that courage does not mean an absence of fear. But true courage, the example of courage Daisy Bates gave us all, is to face our fear, to overcome it, and to do the right thing. What a remarkable story the great state of Arkansas has chosen to tell by placing this beautiful statue, the statue of Daisy Bates, here in our nation’s Capitol, in this sacred hall.

Hopefully, as her story is told over, and over again, it will be a small semblance of the justice she so faithfully sought. Not just justice for herself, but justice for all.

It is a day we can be proud to honor one of our own. It is a day to be proud to be an Arkansan. Thank you.”

Public Invited to See Renowned Sculptor at Work

(LITTLE ROCK, ARK.) – The public is invited to visit with nationally-recognized sculptor Benjamin Victor as he works on the sculpture of Daisy Gatson Bates that will be placed in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol at the Windgate Center of Art + Design on the campus of UA Little Rock.  The hours are 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday, April 25th, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 26th through Thursday, April 28th, and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Friday April 29th at the Windgate Center, 2801 South University Avenue in Little Rock.  Groups can be scheduled for specific times by emailing Amber Crawford at amber.crawford@sos.arkansas.gov. 

Victor has been commissioned by the National Statuary Hall Steering Committee and the Arkansas Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission to create a 7-foot-6-inch bronze sculpture of Daisy Gatson Bates, a renowned civil rights activist. Victor is working on the clay model from which the bronze statue will be cast. He brought the model from his home and studio in Boise, Idaho.

Victor will join Arkansas artist Kevin Kresse on Wednesday, April 27th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Windgate Center for a reception hosted by the Political Animals Club of Little Rock where both will speak about the Statuary Hall project. Kresse has been commissioned to create the sculpture of Johnny Cash. For more information on this event email the club at politicalanimalsclub@gmail.com.

Victor is recognized as being the youngest artist to have a sculpture in the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol, placing his first statue there at age 26. He is also the only living artist to have three works in Statuary Hall. Victor is the sculptor of the Chief Standing Bear statue, the Dr. Norman E. Borlaug statue, and the Sarah Winnemucca statue located in the National Statuary Hall Collection.