Georgia Delegation Continues Push For John Lewis Statue In Place Of Conferederate VP

Lisa Rayam • Aug 4, 2020

A statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens of Georgia is on display in Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill.

Credit Susan Walsh / Associated Press

Days after the late Rep. John Lewis was laid to rest, U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop and the entire Georgia delegation continued their push to replace a statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens with one of Lewis.

They sent a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp asking state legislators to enact a resolution making the change official.

Kemp is said to support the idea.

Hamilton Stephens, born in Crawfordville, Georgia, served as vice president of the Confederate States from 1861-1865, and his statue is situated in the halls of the U.S Capitol.

Bishop said the honor is more befitting of a hero like Lewis.

Lewis, as Bishop said, “causes us to reflect on our painful history, and he gave us hope for the future.”

Bishop said Stephens’ ancestor, the Honorable Lawton Stephens, is in agreement with the entire Georgia delegation.

Bishop said he spoke to Judge Stephens recently and had a conversation with Alexander Hamilton Stephen’s relative who “expresses full support and felt it appropriate to replace his ancestor’s statue with one of John Lewis, whom he has the highest level of admiration and respect for.”