[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17146-17148]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    HENRY McNEAL TURNER POST OFFICE

  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3454) to designate the United States post office located at 
451 College Street in Macon, Georgia, as the ``Henry McNeal Turner Post 
Office.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3454

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The United States post office located at 
     451 College Street in Macon, Georgia, shall be known and 
     designated as the ``Henry McNeal Turner Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Henry McNeal Turner Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on this legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, the legislation before us, H.R. 3454, was introduced 
by our colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss). All 
Members of the House delegation from Georgia have cosponsored this 
bill.
  H.R. 3454 designates the post office located at 451 College Street in 
Macon, Georgia, as the Henry McNeal Turner Post Office.
  There is much to be said about the man honored by this legislation, 
but I

[[Page 17147]]

will speak briefly. Henry McNeal Turner was a well-known missionary, 
pastor, evangelist, church administrator, Army chaplain, author of 
religious publications, and postmaster.
  Turner faced many obstructions in his youth. However, he taught 
himself to read, and at the age of 19 became a preacher in the African 
Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1863, he organized the first regiment of 
African-American troops, and he became the first African-American Army 
chaplain, and then became a chaplain of the regular troops.
  Mr. Turner was appointed as a delegate to the Constitutional 
Convention in 1867. He was elected to the Georgia State Legislature in 
1868 and in 1870. He was appointed postmaster of Macon in 1869. After a 
year as postmaster, Mr. Turner returned to the State Legislature and 
founded the Georgia Equal Rights League. He actively championed equal 
rights, and led mission trips to Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South 
Africa.
  Madam Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support H.R. 3454, honoring 
an individual who sought equality for all Americans and for people 
around the world.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss) for 
bringing our focus to this great individual, Henry McNeal Turner.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I join the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) in 
thanking the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss) for sponsoring H.R. 
3454.
  Henry McNeal Turner was a well-known missionary pastor, evangelist, 
church administrator, Army chaplain, author of religious publications, 
and postmaster. He taught himself to read, and at the age of 19 he 
became a preacher in the African-American Methodist Episcopal Church.
  In 1863, he organized the first regiment of African-American troops. 
He became the first African-American Army chaplain, and then became a 
chaplain of the regular troops. He was elected to the Georgia State 
legislature in 1868.
  I guess it is easy for us to say that today, but when we think about 
the times back in 1868, for an African-American man to be elected to 
the State legislature is phenomenal.
  In 1869 he was appointed Postmaster of Macon, Georgia. He actively 
championed equal rights, and led missions to Sierra Leone, Liberia, and 
South Africa. So we pause here to honor him by naming this post office 
after him.
  I must say that it is so important that we do this, for he is a hero 
to so many people, and particularly to African-American people. Just 
the thought that this post office will be named after him, and children 
again will have to say, well, who was he, Henry McNeal Turner, I think 
somebody can turn around and say that he was a great man and 
accomplished a lot of great things in a very difficult time.

                              {time}  1530

  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this measure.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I am honored to yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss), the prime 
sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Maryland 
(Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for their 
kind comments regarding Henry McNeal Turner and for bringing this bill 
to the floor today.
  Madam Speaker, last year I introduced H.R. 3454 to designate the 
United States Post Office located at 451 College Street in Macon, 
Georgia, as the Henry McNeal Turner Post Office. Today we have the 
opportunity to honor a great man by passing this bill.
  Bishop Henry McNeal Turner was one of Georgia's most dynamic African 
American men in the 1800s. He was a missionary, an evangelist, a 
theologian and church administrator, an Army chaplain, a postmaster, an 
author, a politician, and a staunch supporter of equal rights in 
America.
  Bishop Turner was born in South Carolina in 1834. He taught himself 
to read and, at the age of 19, became a pastor in the African Methodist 
Episcopal Church. As he helped to build the membership of the church, 
Turner was appointed a deacon, then elder, and eventually bishop of the 
AME Church.
  By 1880, Bishop Turner was responsible for churches from Nova Scotia 
to Louisiana. Additionally, Turner traveled extensively in Africa as a 
missionary and established churches in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and South 
Africa.
  In the United States, Turner strove for equality amongst blacks and 
whites. In 1863, he helped organize the first United States regiment of 
African American troops and became the first African American Army 
chaplain appointed by President Abraham Lincoln.
  During Reconstruction, he worked to make life in 19th century Georgia 
a better place for blacks. Turner helped organize the Republican Party 
in Georgia in 1867 and was first elected to the Georgia State Senate in 
1868 as a Republican.
  During his political career, Turner introduced bills for higher 
education for blacks, to protect black people from the Ku Klux Klan, 
and to give women the right to vote. Turner was an ardent supporter of 
public schools in Georgia and championed equal rights by founding the 
Georgia Equal Rights League.
  In 1869, after all the black legislators were expelled from the 
legislature because of their race, Turner was appointed postmaster in 
Macon, Georgia. But he was then returned to the Georgia legislature in 
the following year.
  Bishop Henry McNeal Turner is remembered as a man of many 
accomplishments. His influence spread far and wide, and his power was 
felt from rural towns in Georgia to churches in Africa. In the United 
States Army, in the postal service, in the African Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and in government Bishop Turner fought fiercely to improve the 
lives of the minorities and to defend their rights. Turner College and 
Turner Theological Seminary in Atlanta are named for him, as are many 
churches across Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Louisiana.
  Bishop Turner stood for freedom, justice, and equality and left an 
endearing mark on our society. In reference to Bishop Turner, the 
Reverend Augusta Hall, Jr., senior pastor of the Saint Paul AME Church 
in Covington, Georgia, stated as follows:
  ``Georgia stands as your living testament. Churches you have built 
throughout her realm, ordaining those who would serve the Church of 
Allen, true servants of God you placed at her helm.
  ``Bishop Turner, even when your days drew nigh, look upwards you 
taught us, for inspiration comes from on high. Bishop Turner, may you 
dwell forever in God's heavenly sky. God bless the name of Henry 
Turner, may your legacy never die.''
  Bishop Turner's commitment to education, service, missionary work, 
the improvement of people, and racial equality deserve our recognition. 
Naming the post office in Macon, Georgia, of which he was postmaster at 
one time, is certainly a fitting tribute to this great man.
  All 11 members of the Georgia congressional delegation are cosponsors 
and supporters of this bill to honor Bishop Henry Turner. I would 
encourage my colleagues to join me in passing this bill to recognize 
Bishop Turner's contributions to Georgia and America.
  I give special thanks to Elder Ben Ridley and current Macon Mayor 
Jack Ellis for their assistance and cooperation in researching Bishop 
Turner and for helping to bring this post office naming to a reality.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, in listening to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Chambliss), I could not help but think about the fact that, when he 
talked about how Henry McNeal Turner worked hard many, many years ago 
for equal rights, for African Americans,

[[Page 17148]]

and women, it is so interesting, Madam Speaker, that the denomination 
in which he was a bishop, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, just 
named one of our neighbors, one of my neighbors in Baltimore, Bishop 
Vashti McKenzie. I cannot help but think that it was people like Henry 
McNeal Turner who laid the foundation for such a wonderful opportunity 
for women and in particular for Bishop Vashti McKenzie.
  So today we salute him, and I urge all of our Members to vote in 
favor of this very, very important piece of legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I cannot help but be moved by what I hear about Bishop 
Turner, and I am very pleased that we have before us this naming post 
office bill for Bishop Turner, a man who was early on demonstrative of 
great courage, conviction, equality for African Americans, as well as 
for women, and for helping those who need it most.
  So I urge this House to unanimously pass H.R. 3454, and I thank the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss) for introducing it.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3454.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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