A Statue Honors Helen Keller—An 'Extraordinary American' An Image in Bronze Captures the Moment That Changed Her Life

On October 7, a new bronze statue was presented at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Lawmakers and other important people attended a special ceremony in the Rotunda. The sculpture wasn't like most of the other statues in the nation's capital—images of famous men from the country's history. This one was of a little girl standing at a water pump, running water over her hand.

That little girl was born in 1880 in Tuscumbia, Ala. When she was 19 months old, she became sick with high fevers. The illness left her permanently blind and deaf—and because she couldn't hear, she couldn't learn to speak. For the next seven years of her life, the child was isolated in her dark, silent world, unable to communicate or learn.

Everything changed when her family hired Anne Sullivan, a young teacher who was herself vision-impaired. Sullivan moved into the household and taught the girl to use her hands to make alphabet shapes. At first, the girl couldn't understand what the hand positions meant. But one day, as Sullivan stood at a water pump running water over the girl's hand, she manually spelled W-A-T-E-R into the child's other hand. Suddenly, the girl understood the secret of language, and her world opened wide.

‘Miracle Workers'That girl was Helen Keller, and she would go on to become the first person who was both deaf and blind to graduate from a university. She became a beloved celebrity—an author, a public speaker, and an advocate for people with disabilities. She also used her fame to promote and support many other causes, including women's rights, workers' rights, and the fight against poverty. Keller was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor. She died in 1968.

Anne Sullivan achieved fame as well. The American writer Mark Twain, who was a friend of Keller's, once famously described Sullivan as a "miracle worker." Years later, in 1962, the Academy Award-winning movie The Miracle Worker portrayed Keller and Sullivan's story to audiences around the world.

For a classroom read-aloud play adaptation of "The Miracle Worker," click here.

Defining Moment"W-A-T-E-R. Five simple letters that helped rescue 7-year-old Helen Keller from a world of darkness and a world of silence," said Alabama Gov. Bob Riley as he presented the statue. "It is this defining moment that we celebrate today."

The 600-pound statue is a gift to the nation from the state of Alabama. Each state is allowed to place two statues in the Capitol, and this one is the building's first statue of a child.

"By placing this statue in the Capitol, we appropriately honor this extraordinary American, and will inspire countless children," Riley said.

Carl Augusto, president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind, told the crowd, "[Keller] embodies the American spirit of limitless possibility ... her biggest desire was to leave the world a better place than she found it, and ladies and gentlemen, that's the legacy she leaves all of us."

VocabularyRotunda—the round, domed, center hall of the Capitol
isolated—alone, cut off from others
manually—by hand
advocate—supporter; someone who speaks in favor of, or on behalf of, something
legacy—heritage; something that is handed down or remains from a previous time

Books and Movies There are numerous books about Helen Keller, including many that were written for kids. In addition, Keller's own books, including The Story of My Life, are available at libraries and bookstores.

The movie, The Miracle Worker (1962), is available on DVD and is highly recommended for older elementary students and up.

Links

• The Helen Keller Kids Museum Online
• The Helen Keller Foundation
• The Helen Keller Birthplace
• The U.S. Capitol

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