Hundreds of people came to Kiener Plaza to see a new bronze statue of Frankie Muse Freeman on Tuesday.
And so did the civil rights icon herself.
Freeman won the landmark case against the St. Louis Housing Authority, which put an end to legal racial discrimination in public housing.
The new statue depicts her leaving the courthouse that historic day.
"I was just blessed that I was able to do it," she said.
Over the last year her daughter, Shelbe Bullock, worked with sculptor Brian Owners to get the features just right.
"To actually put my hands in the clay and help form the hair and the face, it brought me such joy," Bullock said.
The statue was ready just in time for Freeman's birthday. This Friday, she will turn 101 years old.
"The fact that I'm still here, I'm blessed with God's grace and mercy," she said.
Freeman still actively serves on several boards, including the St. Louis NAACP. She encourages young people to get involved in the community, too.
"Stay out of trouble," she said. "Avoid troublesome people. Do your best. With God's grace and mercy, always do your best."
St. Louis NAACP president Adolphus Pruitt said there are two other statues depicting African Americans in the city, Martin Luther King and Dred Scott.
