Georgia’s Congress members want a statue of John Lewis at the U.S. Capitol

A bipartisan group of Congress members from Georgia want to put a statue of John Lewis at the U.S. Capitol, and they have written a letter to state officials to make the statue to the recently deceased civil rights icon a reality.

Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. Dean of the Georgia Delegation, Congressman Tom Graves, Senator David Perdue, Congressman Henry “Hank” Johnson Jr., Congressman Austin Scott, Congresswoman Lucy McBath, Congressman Rob Woodall, Congressman David Scott, Congressman Rick Allen, and Congressman Drew Ferguson sent letters to Governor Brian Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, and Speaker of the Georgia House David Ralston requesting they replace the statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens with a statue of John Lewis in the United States Capitol Statuary Hall.

Stephens was born in Taliaferro County in 1812 and served as the vice-president of the Confederacy. After the Civil War, he was elected to the House of Representatives and served as Governor of Georgia.

The Capitol’s Statuary Hall consists of two statues from each state. Georgia’s other statue in the hall is of Crawford W. Long.

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“John Lewis’ commitment to non-violence in the pursuit of justice for all inspired millions across Georgia, America, and the world. Because of the life and activism of John Lewis, America is more fair, more just, and more kind. There is no better Georgian we could choose to represent our state in our nation’s Capitol than our beloved friend, colleague, and hero, John Robert Lewis,” said Bishop.

“I can think of no better statue in the U.S. Capitol representing our state than one of John Lewis. Our nation lost a giant, and it’s up to us to work together so that John’s fight for justice and equality continues. I was glad to see Gov. Kemp signal yesterday that he agrees that John’s legacy should be honored in our nation’s Capitol for generations to come,” said Rep. Tom Graves.