Brady Statement on Rosa Parks Statue Dedication

February 26, 2013 (Washington, D.C.) Tomorrow, the Architect of the Capitol will unveil a statue of civil rights icon, Rosa Parks, in Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol Building. Congress commissioned the artwork in 2005 to commemorate the life of the courageous leader. It is the first permanent full-size installation ordered by Congress since the 1870s.

The artists, Eugene L. Daub and Rob L. Firman, were selected for the project by the Joint Committee on the Library in 2009. The Joint Committee was then chaired by Rep. Robert A. Brady (D-PA), the Ranking Democratic Member of the Committee on House Administration.

"I am proud to see this project come to fruition," said Brady. "Rosa Parks is an inspiring figure to her generation, and will be for generations to come. As then Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library, it was my honor to shepherd the process through Congress and to manage passage of the legislation on the floor of the House. It was humbling for me, and my colleagues, to make decisions that would help shape and preserve her legacy including working with Architect of the Capitol on selecting the final design. The artists captured her quiet dignity, and hallmark strength. She'll forever appear as steady and unmovable as the rock she sits upon."

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