Rosa Parks to be honored with U.S. Capitol statue

USATODAY

Rosa Parks became a civil rights icon for refusing to give up her bus seat, and now she will stand forever in the U.S. Capitol. She will become the first African-American woman to be honored with a statue in Statuary Hall in a ceremony Feb. 27.

President George W. Bush signed a law in 2005 directing Congress to commission a Parks statue for inclusion in the Capitol's sculpture collection. Statuary Hall commemorates notable citizens from each state. The National Endowment for the Arts oversaw the design competition for a $250,000 prize to complete a bronze statue and pedestal.

Last week marked the centennial of Parks' birthday, which was also honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a commemorative stamp.

The statue will not be the first time Parks has been honored in the U.S. Capitol. When she died in 2005, she became the first woman to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol rotunda.