[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 39 (Monday, April 3, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H1644-H1645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   C.B. KING UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 1567) to designate the United States courthouse located 
at 223 Broad Street in Albany, Georgia, as the ``C. B. King United 
States Courthouse,'' as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 1567

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The United States courthouse located at 223 Broad Avenue in 
     Albany, Georgia, shall be known and designated as the ``C.B. 
     King United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``C.B. King United States Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1567, as amended, designates the United States 
Courthouse nearing completion in Albany, Georgia, as the C. B. King 
United States Courthouse. Chevene Bowers King was born in Albany, 
Georgia, in 1923. He ably served his country in the United States Navy.
  Mr. King attended Fisk University in Nashville and earned his law 
degree from Case Western University. C. B. King was a cooperating 
attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. King handled 
cases involving school discrimination, voting and political rights, the 
right to serve on juries free of discrimination and employment 
discrimination. King's legal actions led to the passage of the Jury 
Selection and Service Act of 1968.
  King used the legal process to achieve significant civil rights 
accomplishments. This is a fitting honor for a distinguished civil 
rights leader. I support this measure and urge my colleagues to do the 
same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is, I think, appropriate for us to designate the 
United States Courthouse in Albany, Georgia, after one of Albany's 
great sons, C. B. King. As was referenced by my colleague, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette), in terms of his history there is 
one other little item. He did attend Tuskeegee for a year before he 
joined the Navy and went on to Fisk.
  He is most remembered for his legal activism in the South. In 
Southwest Georgia, he became a leading civil rights attorney working 
closely with other lawyers from Macon, Atlanta, and Savannah. He 
believed in using the courts as an agent for change. He participated in 
numerous landmark civil rights cases, including cases to ensure the 
basic rights of American citizens to sit on juries free from racial 
discrimination. He was a firm believer in the provisions of Title VII 
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that provided equal job opportunities 
for African Americans.
  King was a superior legal scholar and an excellent orator. He joined 
scholarship with these oratorical skills to produce a powerful presence 
in courtrooms. It is most fitting that we honor C. B. King with this 
designation. I support the bill and commend our colleague, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) for his diligence in pursuing this 
legislation.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 1567, a 
bill to designate the courthouse in Albany, Georgia, as the ``C.B. King 
United States Courthouse.''
  Chevene Bowers King was a native of Albany, Georgia, the third child 
in a middle-class African-American family. He attended local schools 
and attended Tuskeegee for a year before he decided to join the Navy. 
After his three years in the service, he enrolled at Fisk University. 
After graduating from college, he attended Case Western Reserve 
University, School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio.
  Over the course of his career, C.B. King led the legal fight in the 
courts for civil rights in Albany, Georgia. Using his intimate 
knowledge of the court system, King was able to advance the cause of 
civil rights by defending his colleagues who participated in marches 
and sit-ins. He worked closely with the NAACP, and was the cooperating 
attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. King played 
a key role in cases involving important civil rights issues such as 
school desegregation, voting rights, political rights, and employment 
discrimination.
  King was also a pioneer in his community to advance employment 
opportunities for African Americans--encouraging people to move from 
low-skilled, low-paying jobs to high-paying, professional occupations 
that required advanced degrees. In particular, King firmly believed 
that courts were an agent for change and he strongly encouraged young 
African Americans to turn to the law for a career.
  King was a devoted family man, husband, and father. His public career 
is marked with great success and his private life was enriched with 
family, children and friends.
  It is fitting and proper to honor the significant contributions of 
C.B. King by designating the U.S. courthouse in Albany, Georgia, in his 
honor. The Gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Bishop, has introduced a 
companion bill to the Senate bill that we consider today and I thank 
him for all of his efforts on behalf of this legislation.
  I urge Members to support S. 1567.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 1567, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof)

[[Page H1645]]

the rules were suspended and the Senate bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the Senate bill was amended so as to read:

       ``A bill to designate the United States courthouse located 
     at 223 Broad Avenue in Albany, Georgia, as the `C.B. King 
     United States Courthouse'.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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