[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 187 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LATE RICHARD STEWART

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JENNIFER L. McCLELLAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 13, 2023

  Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Richard 
Stewart, a beloved and well-known figure from my hometown of 
Petersburg, in Virginia's Fourth Congressional District. Mr. Stewart 
was the honorary ``Mayor of Pocahontas Island,'' one of the oldest 
Black neighborhoods in our Nation.
  Since 1732, enslaved, escaped, and free African Americans have called 
Pocahontas Island home, and Mr. Stewart fought relentlessly to preserve 
artifacts, properties, and the stories of those who lived there. He 
even created the Pocahontas Island Black History Museum, the first 
Black history museum in Petersburg, to educate visitors and 
memorialized the storied history of the neighborhood. He was a veteran, 
a community leader, and an engaged citizen who devoted his life to 
preserving our history and preparing the next generation through 
storytelling and learning.
  He leaves behind a lasting legacy and will be sorely missed by the 
Petersburg community and our Commonwealth.

                          ____________________