CONWAY, Ark. — The Arkansas Secretary of State office and PBS Arkansas will be hosting a free advance screening of the documentary “Unveiled: Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at the Robinson Center in Little Rock.The documentary will premiere at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 20, on Arkansas PBS, at myarpbs.org/live and in the PBS App.The documentary covers the creation of the statues of music legend Johnny Cash and civil rights leader Daisy Bates that were placed in National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.For more than a century, National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol has displayed two statues from each state, recognizing remarkable individuals whose achievements reflect and contribute to the nation’s collective identity. “Unveiled: Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash” – an original documentary from Arkansas PBS and award-winning filmmaker Nathan Willis – explores the creation and installation of Arkansas’s newest statues and the enduring legacies of two of the state’s most iconic figures. “‘Unveiled’ explores the profound impact of Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash on the history of our great state and the nation,” Arkansas PBS Executive Director and CEO Courtney Pledger said. “From their humble beginnings to their lasting influence, their statues stand as a tribute to the pivotal roles they played in shaping American culture and society.”Subjects for the new statues were chosen by the Arkansas Legislature. In 2019, the Arkansas General Assembly agreed to replace the state’s first two Statuary Hall sculptures of Uriah Milton Rose and James Paul Clarke with statues of civil rights activist Bates and world-renowned singer/songwriter Cash, a native of Kingsland. The parameters for the design and creation of the statues had to meet the meticulous standards of the office of the Architect of the Capitol.“Unveiled” documents the selection, cr...
To access content, please login or purchase a subscription.