[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9558-9560]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              AMELIA BOYNTON ROBINSON POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 4777) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 1301 Alabama Avenue in Selma, Alabama as the 
``Amelia Boynton Robinson Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4777

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

     SECTION 1. AMELIA BOYNTON ROBINSON POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 1301 Alabama Avenue in Selma, Alabama, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Amelia Boynton 
     Robinson Post Office Building''.
       (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 ``Amelia Boynton Robinson Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Iowa (Mr. Blum) and the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Iowa?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 4777, introduced by Representative Terri 
Sewell of Alabama. The bill designates a post office in Selma, Alabama, 
as the Amelia Boynton Robinson Post Office Building.

[[Page 9559]]



                              {time}  1545

  Mrs. Boynton Robinson was a civil rights leader who marched on the 
Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma and fought to ensure equality for all.
  I look forward to learning more about Amelia Boynton Robinson's life 
from my colleague and the sponsor of this bill, Representative Sewell.
  I urge Members to support this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration 
of H.R. 4777, a bill to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located in Selma, Alabama, as the Amelia Boynton 
Robinson Post Office Building.
  Known as the matriarch of the civil rights movement, Amelia Boynton 
Robinson began her activism as a child, along with her mother, on 
horse-and-buggy trips to pass out women's suffrage pamphlets prior to 
the 1910s. By 1930, Amelia was helping register southern African 
American voters.
  In 1964, she became the first African American woman to run for 
Congress in Alabama. Although she lost the Democratic primary, her 
campaign drew increased interest to the issue of voting rights.
  Having participated in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference 
since meeting Dr. Martin Luther King in 1954, Amelia helped organize 
the march from Selma to Montgomery.
  Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to make sure that a place in 
history that was changed by this woman's leadership commemorates her 
and her tireless efforts on behalf of civil and voting rights in our 
country.
  I urge the passage of H.R. 4777.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).
  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today I am honored to rise in 
strong support of H.R. 4777, to designate the United States Post Office 
at 1301 Alabama Avenue in Selma, Alabama, as the Amelia Boynton 
Robinson Post Office Building.
  Mrs. Amelia Boynton Robinson was known as the matriarch of the voting 
rights movement. Her life and legacy epitomized strength, resiliency, 
perseverance, and courage, the same characteristics that embody the 
city of Selma, Alabama, my hometown, where she made such a significant 
impact.
  Amelia Boynton Robinson was named the only female lieutenant to Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr., during the civil rights movement. In this 
role, she would travel alongside Dr. King and often appear in his stead 
for numerous events and gatherings.
  Amelia Boynton Robinson was also well known for braving the frontline 
of the Selma march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where she was brutally 
attacked and left for dead on Bloody Sunday, on March 7, 1965. It was 
the picture of a bloody and beaten Amelia Boynton that appeared on the 
front page of The New York Times and showed the world the brutality of 
racism in the fight for voter equality.
  During the violent attacks, this heroine never gave up hope, hope in 
an ideal that is all America. It is democracy. She believed so 
fervently that all Americans should have the right to vote, and she was 
willing to die for it.
  It was the direct involvement of Amelia Boynton Robinson and the foot 
soldiers who dared to march from Selma to Montgomery that led to the 
passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. She was such a valued part of 
this process that some of the contents of the voting rights bill were 
drafted at her kitchen table in Selma.
  A courageous trailblazer even before Bloody Sunday, Amelia Boynton 
Robinson, on May 5, 1964, broke all barriers as the first Black woman 
in the State of Alabama to run for Congress. She ran to represent the 
Seventh Congressional District of Alabama, the seat I am so honored to 
hold today. She garnered 10.7 percent of the vote during a time when 
very few Blacks were registered to vote. I know, Mr. Speaker, that the 
journey that I now take as Alabama's first Black Congresswoman was only 
made possible because of the courage, tenacity, and faith of Amelia 
Boynton Robinson.
  Last year, before Mrs. Boynton passed, I was honored to have her as 
my special guest at the State of the Union. It was incredibly moving to 
see Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle and members of the 
President's Cabinet line up to greet her and to take pictures with her. 
Everyone thanked her for her service to this country. Even President 
Obama came to talk and thank Mrs. Boynton before he gave his address at 
the State of the Union.
  This picture documents that very time when she got to meet the 
President of the United States for the first time. The memory of that 
moment will stand as one of the highlights of my time here in Congress. 
The symbolism of this picture is not lost on any of us. It was truly 
because of her bravery and the bravery of other foot soldiers who dared 
to march, like our very own colleague, John Lewis, that paved the way 
for the election of this country's first Black President.
  Just a few months later, on March 6, 2015, she joined hands with our 
own President Barack Obama again, to retrace the path that she took 
across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the 50th anniversary of Bloody 
Sunday, when she and our colleague, John Lewis, were beaten over 50 
years ago. Amelia Boynton Robinson passed away just a few months later 
on August 26, 2015, at the age of 104.
  She was featured prominently in the movie ``Selma'' for her tenacity 
and her bravery. She truly embodied what they were fighting for as foot 
soldiers. I was so glad that before her death she was able to cross 
that bridge one more time, and this time with two Presidents: President 
Barack Obama and President George Bush. So many of my colleagues joined 
us that day, and we continue to honor her legacy by supporting this 
legislation and naming the Selma Post Office in her honor.
  As a daughter of Selma, I am honored to sponsor this legislation, and 
I can think of no one more deserving to have their name on a post 
office in Selma, Alabama, than Amelia Boynton Robinson. She truly 
represents the heart, spirit, and essence of Selma, Alabama, and the 
voting rights movement.
  In closing, I am reminded of the words that Amelia Boynton Robinson 
said during her visit to this Capitol at the State of the Union in 
2015. As Members of Congress and Cabinet members took pictures with her 
in the Halls of this Capitol, they said to Mrs. Robinson: ``I stand on 
your shoulders. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you.''
  Ms. Boynton finally, after the fifth person said that to her, ``I 
stand on your shoulders,'' she looked up, as only a person of 104 
would, and said, ``Get off my shoulders.'' She said: ``Do your own 
work. There is plenty of work to be done.''
  Mr. Speaker, this august body still has work to do to fully restore 
the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was gutted by the Supreme Court in 
the Shelby v. Holder decision of 2013. I ask my Republican colleagues 
to join the 180 members of the Democratic Caucus who have sponsored the 
Voting Rights Advancement Act. It is this bill that will give back the 
enforcement arm of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and it is up to 
Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act.
  In memory of Amelia Boynton Robinson, I urge my colleagues to not 
only support the naming of this post office in H.R. 4777, but they can 
honor the memory of her and so many of the foot soldiers' bravery by 
passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015. The right to vote is 
a sacred right, Mr. Speaker, and no American should be denied access to 
the ballot box.
  Ms. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, can you tell me how much time I have 
remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Alabama has 11\1/2\ 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).

[[Page 9560]]


  Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for this bill. I 
want to congratulate the gentlewoman from Alabama for her good and 
great work on this bill.
  Amelia Boynton Robinson was a daughter of Georgia who moved to 
Alabama to study at Tuskegee Institute. After graduating, she began 
working for the United States Department of Agriculture in Dallas 
County, Alabama, where Selma is the county seat. This is where Mrs. 
Boynton met her husband, Samuel Boynton. They raised their sons--Bill, 
Jr., and Bruce Carver--on the front lines of the fight for equality and 
civil rights.
  I remember going to Selma, Alabama, for the first time in 1963, at 
the age of 23, to help African Americans gain the right to vote. Mrs. 
Boynton was one of the first individuals I met. She worked tirelessly. 
She organized. She mobilized. She spoke. She led. She was fearless.
  Mrs. Boynton was one of the very first African Americans to register 
to vote in Dallas County. The county had an African American majority, 
but only about 2.1 percent of African Americans of voting age were 
registered to vote. People had to stand in lines. On occasion, they 
were asked to count the number of bubbles on a bar of soap, the number 
of jelly beans in a jar. Occasionally, people had to pass a so-called 
literacy test.
  Time after time, she stood up to brutality and injustice. I remember 
her very well on Bloody Sunday. Mrs. Boynton was knocked down by 
Alabama State Troopers and trampled by horses and tear-gassed, but she 
never gave up. She kept her faith. She kept her eyes on the prize. Mrs. 
Boynton's vision, determination, and commitment helped to pave the way 
for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
  Last year, when she passed away, at the age of 104, I mourned with 
the rest of the Nation. I was happy that during her long life she had 
an opportunity to see the impact of her work.
  So I think, Mr. Speaker, it is so fitting for a post office to be 
named in her honor. Her work has changed not just Selma, but the entire 
State of Alabama, the South, our Nation, and inspired people all around 
our world. I hope that all of my colleagues will support this important 
bill.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers to bring forth 
today.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 4777, 
which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 1301 Alabama Avenue in Selma, Alabama as the ``Amelia 
Boynton Robinson Post Office Building.''
  I support this legislation, because it commemorates Amelia Boynton 
Robinson's historic role during the Civil Rights Movement.
  Not only was Amelia a courageous activist in Selma, Alabama during 
the height of the Civil Rights Movement, she also taught in Georgia 
before starting with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Selma as the 
home demonstration agent for Dallas County.
  She educated the county's largely rural population about food 
production and processing, nutrition, healthcare, and other subjects 
related to agriculture and homemaking.
  We celebrate Amelia for her invaluable contributions to her community 
and her country.
  Amelia worked for the promotion of civil rights for all and protested 
the continued segregation and disenfranchisement of African Americans.
  Amelia registered to vote, which was extremely difficult for African 
Americans to accomplish in Alabama due to discriminatory practices 
under the state's reactionary constitution passed at the turn of the 
century.
  Amelia Boynton Robinson made her home and office in Selma a center 
for strategy sessions for Selma's civil rights battles, including its 
voting rights campaign.
  In 1964, Amelia ran for the Congress from Alabama, with the intent to 
encourage African Americans to register and vote.
  This made Amelia the first female African American to run for office 
in Alabama and the first woman of any race to run for office as a 
candidate of the Democratic party in the state of Alabama.
  Amelia is also known for her role in Selma to Montgomery marches, 
where she worked alongside Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Coretta Scott 
King, our beloved colleague Congressman John Lewis, and other 
monumental figures in the epochal struggle to secure the right to vote 
for all Americans.
  Amelia helped organize a march to the state capital of Montgomery, 
which became known as ``Bloody Sunday'' when county and state police 
stopped the march and beat demonstrators.
  Amelia was beaten unconscious and a newspaper of her lying bloody and 
beaten drew national attention to the cause.
  Men and women like Amelia marched because they believed that all 
persons have dignity and the right to equal treatment under the law, 
and in the making of the laws, which is the fundamental essence of the 
right to vote.
  Bloody Sunday led to the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 
1965, which was signed by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965, 
in the presence of Amelia Boynton Robinson, with Boynton attending as 
the landmark event's guest of honor.
  Amelia was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Freedom and 
toured the United States on behalf of the Schiller Institute until 
2009.
  Mr. Speaker, naming the post office in honor of Amelia Boynton 
Robinson is a special and deserved commemoration of her life of 
service.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Blum) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4777.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________