One of Alabama’s most-beloved citizens received an honored place in the ranks of American history Wednesday, joining the likes of George Washington and Samuel Adams in the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall.
The statue of Helen Keller was unveiled with great fanfare in a celebration under the Capitol Rotunda that included reverential remarks from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the majority and minority leaders from the House and Senate.
Crowds gather around the new addition to Capitol Statuary Hall, a bronze statue depicting nine-year-old Helen Keller at the “water pump” when she discovered the ability to communicate. The statue was made by artist Edward Hlavka. (Bridget Macdonald/MNS)
“All of Alabama is very proud,” said Rep. Parker Griffith, D-Ala., after the ceremony. “The words spoken here today are very meaningful to us, certainly in the Northern Alabama area where Helen Keller was from.”
Griffith pointed out that although the statue was donated as a representation of Alabama’s history, Keller’s story speaks to all Americans.
“She’s really a guiding light who has taken on a greater meaning for the whole world.”
The event was a milestone for Statuary Hall as well. Capturing the moment when Keller discovered her ability to communicate at age 9, the statue is the first to depict either a child or a person with a disability, and is only the ninth one in the hall of a woman.
In her remarks during the ceremony, Pelosi highlighted the strides that have been made on behalf of people with disabilities thanks to Keller’s tireless activism, such as the Americans with Disability’s Act, amended in 2008.
Although Pelosi said there is more work to be done to ensure all people have equal rights and representation, she pointed to a sign of progress on the Capitol Hill: “Soon the podium of the House will be adjusted so persons with disabilities may preside over proceedings in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Carl Augusto, president of the American Foundation for the Blind, said, “I hope when visitors see the statue it reminds them of [Keller’s] belief in humanity, and the potential of people with disabilities.”
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley was a Congressman when an amendment was made to the National Statuary Hall Act in 2000, enabling states to replace their representative statues displayed in the Capitol. Keller immediately came to mind, according to Riley’s press secretary Todd Stacy. Wednesday’s unveiling was the realization of a nine-year effort to have a statue of Keller replace one of Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry.
Noting that countless children make their way through the Capitol each year, Riley said he hopes seeing the statue will be inspiration that, “There is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.
Griffith echoed that sentiment, saying when young people enter the hall, “This is the only child they will see, and maybe they will ask: Why is there a child here?” Her legacy will be kept alive through them, he said.