House Concurrent Resolution 1 is a formal request from the Mississippi Legislature to the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to approve replacing Mississippi’s two statues in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection. The resolution seeks to remove the statues of Jefferson Davis and James Zachariah George and replace them with statues honoring civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer and Senator Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate. The measure is largely commemorative and symbolic, but it is framed as a statement about Mississippi’s history, its civil rights legacy, and the state’s desire to present a more inclusive public representation in the nation’s Capitol.
The resolution also recites extensive historical background on the current and proposed honorees. It describes Davis and George as figures tied to Mississippi’s Confederate and Reconstruction-era past, while emphasizing Hamer’s role in voting rights activism, civil rights organizing, and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, and Revels’ historic Senate service, advocacy for education, and leadership in Reconstruction-era public life. The resolution notes that federal law permits states to request replacement of statues in the Statuary Hall Collection and that, if approved, Mississippi would be responsible for the costs of design, construction, transportation, removal, placement, and any unveiling ceremony.
In terms of legal effect, the resolution does not itself change Mississippi statutes or directly alter federal law; instead, it authorizes and communicates Mississippi’s official request to the federal Joint Committee on the Library of Congress under 2 U.S.C. § 2132. It also asks the Governor to support the effort and to create a commission of Mississippi artists and artisans to solicit private donations for the new statues. If the request is approved, the Architect of the Capitol would work with the state to carry out the replacement under the conditions set by federal law.
The general sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly supportive and celebratory. The resolution presents the proposed replacement as a way to better reflect the “unified spirit” and evolving identity of Mississippi, and it repeatedly praises Hamer and Revels as exemplary Mississippians and civil rights pioneers. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no recorded legislative debate or roll-call sentiment in the available context beyond the resolution’s affirmative framing.
The main point of contention inherent in the measure is the replacement of statues of Jefferson Davis and James Zachariah George, both associated with the Confederacy and Mississippi’s older political order, with figures associated with civil rights and racial justice. The resolution itself does not present opposition arguments, but the choice of honorees reflects a broader historical and cultural debate over public monuments, state identity, and how Mississippi should represent itself in a national setting. The bill’s supporters appear to view the change as corrective and inclusive, while the underlying controversy centers on whether Confederate-era figures should be removed from prominent public honorific spaces.
HC1 would not directly amend Mississippi code, but it would formally authorize the state’s request under federal law to replace Mississippi’s two National Statuary Hall statues. If approved by the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, the change would result in the removal of Jefferson Davis and James Zachariah George from the Capitol collection and their replacement with statues of Fannie Lou Hamer and Hiram Rhodes Revels. The resolution also contemplates executive support and private fundraising for the new statues, and it would obligate Mississippi to bear the costs associated with the replacement process.
The resolution is presented in strongly favorable terms, with a celebratory and commemorative tone. It frames the proposed statue replacement as an opportunity to honor Mississippi’s civil rights heritage and to reflect the state’s progress from its Confederate past to a more inclusive present. No votes or committee testimony are included, so there is no recorded opposition or divided sentiment in the provided materials.
The central point of contention is the decision to remove statues of Jefferson Davis and James Zachariah George, both tied to the Confederacy and Mississippi’s older political history, and replace them with civil rights figures. Supporters of the resolution emphasize inclusion, historical correction, and representation of Mississippi’s modern identity, while the underlying controversy concerns how the state should balance commemoration of past figures against honoring leaders associated with voting rights and racial equality. The bill text does not include formal opposition, but the subject matter itself is likely to draw debate over Confederate symbolism and public monuments.