LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — When Arkansas lawmakers decided five years ago to replace the statues representing the state at the U.S. Capitol, there was little objection to getting rid of the existing sculptures. The statues that had stood there for more than 100 years were obscure figures in the state’s history.

“I remember giving tours to constituents from Arkansas, to young people, and I would point out the two representatives in Statuary Hall in our United States Capitol from Arkansas,” said former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who also served in Congress. “And they would say, ‘We’ve never heard of them.’”

Instead of two little-known figures from the 18th and 19th centuries, the state will soon be represented by the “Man in Black” and a woman who was instrumental in the fight over school desegregation.

Officials plan to install statues of civil rights leader Daisy Bates this week and musician Johnny Cash later this year.

Bates, who headed the state NAACP, mentored the Black students known as the Little Rock Nine who integrated Central High School in 1957. She is a well-known civil rights figure in Arkansas, where a downtown street in the capital, Little Rock, is named in her honor. The state also marks Daisy Bates Day on Presidents Day.

Benjamin Victor, the Idaho sculptor who was chosen to create the statue of Bates, said he began his work by extensively studying her, including reading her 1962 autobiography and visiting her Little Rock home and Central High. He said he hopes the statue will help U.S. Capitol visitors learn more about her as well.

“I hope it really first and foremost inspires them to study Daisy Bates’ life and legacy,” Victor said. “A big part of it is to capture that spirit of hers and inspire others to do the same and stand up for what’s right.”

The 8-foot tall bronze statue depicts Bates, who with her husband published the Arkansas State Press newspaper, walking with a newspaper in her arm. She holds a notebook and pen in one hand and wears a NAACP pin and rose on her lapel.

Cash was born in Kingsland, a tiny town about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Little Rock. He died in 2003 at age 71. His achievements include 90 million records sold worldwide spanning country, rock, blues, folk and gospel. He was among the few artists inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The 8-foot (2.4-meter) tall statue of Cash depicts the singer with a guitar slung across his back and a Bible in his hand. Little Rock sculptor Kevin Kresse, who was selected to create the statue, has sculpted other musical figures from Arkansas such as Al Green, Glen Campbell and Levon Helm.

Kresse views Cash as a much-needed addition to the Capitol as a counterbalance to the conflict in Congress, he said.

“He walked the walk and he lived what he believed. And that was just this quality that really appealed to me,” Kresse said. “And that interior thoughtfulness was something that I really wanted to try to bring out in this sculpture.”

The Bates and Cash statues will replace ones depicting James P. Clarke, a former governor and U.S. senator in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and Uriah Rose, a 19th century attorney. The statues had come under scrutiny, especially over racist comments Clarke made calling on the Democratic Party to preserve “white standards.”

Republican Sen. Bart Hester, a Republican who is now the Senate president pro tem, began calling for the statues to be replaced in 2018. Clarke Tucker, Clarke’s great-great-grandson and a Democratic state senator, also called for his ancestor’s statue to come down.

“There was recognition broadly that it was time for a change,” said Hutchinson, who signed the 2019 law requiring the Bates and Cash statues to go up.

Choosing their replacements was the hard part, with lawmakers offering competing ideas ranging from Walmart founder Sam Walton to a Navy SEAL from the state who was killed in Afghanistan. After some wrangling, lawmakers eventually approved Bates and Cash.

Sen. David Wallace, who sponsored the legislation to replace the previous sculptures, said he hoped the new statues would tell people more about the types of figures Arkansas has produced over the years.

“We wanted to do the common person that represented Arkansas,” Wallace said. “And I think that with Daisy Bates and with Johnny Cash, we covered the spectrum in Arkansas. Just, they represent the common folks of Arkansas.”

After weeks of Arkansas handing Kentucky Ls, the Wildcats have finally struck back.

The Diamond Hogs traveled to Lexington this weekend to play its series against No. 8 Kentucky. The Hogs won the first match 10-3 but gave up the following two, 11-3 and 7-4, respectively.

In game one, the Razorbacks took control of the game late. Hagen Smith was his spectacular, again, and held off the Cats offense for most of the game. He gave up one run in the third, but other than that, the performance was nearly flawless. He pitched his second-most strikeouts of the season with 14 for his ninth double-digit game.

The offense finally started to heat up going into the fifth. Peyton Stovall kicked things off with an RBI double. In the sixth, the Hogs took advantage of a back-to-back walks and brought in three more runs. However, they opened up the throttle in the sixth inning, scoring six runs. Unfortunately, they left little in the gas tank for the rest of the weekend.

In the final two games, Arkansas looked emaciated from the plate, scoring a combined seven runs to Kentucky’s 18. The Razorbacks batted a measly 2-15 with runners in scoring position (RISP) for a .133 average in games two and three. To compare, Arkansas batted 5-17 (.294) in the first game. Batting with RISP has been an Achilles heel of this baseball, hitting .278 since the beginning of conference play. That’s last in the league.

Arkansas has two SEC series left before the conference tournament, and it doesn’t get easier. The Diamond Hogs will face No. 16 Mississippi State at home and take on No. 1 Texas A&M in College Station.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman could use a little luck in 2024. He went out and signed Bobby Petrino as his offensive coordinator which deflected a little bit of heat off his seat for the time being.

Pittman attended the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday to support his friends Dan and Scott Hamby, owners ofrace winner Mystik Dan. The horse wasn’t one of the favorites to win entering Saturday with 18-1 odds. However, the winner forged his way to victory by a nose over Sierra Leone. 

Mystik Dan’s jockey was little known Brian Hernandez. While Pittman isn’t considered an unknown commodity amongst the coaching profession, he has shown the ability to win at a moderate level. His first 26 games as Razorbacks coach, Arkansas strung together a 15-11 record overall and 7-11 mark in SEC play.

A promising start was short-lived once KJ Jefferson fumbled on a ‘Superman leap’ as the team swagger and confidence popped like a balloon. Since that game, the Razorbacks are 8-14 with only three conference wins. 

Brushing shoulders of greatness in Louisville might just be the rub Pittman needs to return Arkansas to its winning ways in 2024. Like Derby winner, Mystik Dan, he essentially came from nowhere to become the champion.

Arkansas will need to pull off a win or two in surprise fashion if the team plans on making a bowl game. During the 2021 season, the Razorbacks witnessed a lot of breaks go its way throughout the fall. Circumstances are a bit different but similar for a turnaround. 

Petrino will have to break in a brand new quarterback. A passer that many around the program is considered an underrated talent. That’s yet to be seen but with a rigorous Southeastern Conference to play, Taylen Green will have ample opportunity to prove doubters wrong.

Second-year defensive coordinator Travis Williams will hope to build off an up-and-down 2023 season. Linebacker play will be a huge question mark as the group pads prior college experience to a youthful room. The middle of Arkansas’ defense will be pressured early on especially as the team travels to Oklahoma State in week two.

Maybe Pittman has identified what he needs to makeup for lost time over 19 months. No one is asking for a championship this year or any year for that matter. But, seeing success by other Arkansas residents is bound to bleed over into football season. Bowl eligibility shouldn’t be out of the question yet as the Razorbacks preseason win total is set at 5.5 by Fan Duel.

HOGS FEED:

• Razorbacks offense finish with whimper after homer against Kentucky

• Razorbacks bats finally hit big milestone in SEC play

• Table set for huge recruiting class in 2026 but can Pittman afford the bill when it comes?

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