Congressman A. Donald McEachin (D-VA-04) hosted a renaming and dedication service at the Hopewell Post Office on Poythress Street in honor of the late Rev. Curtis West Harris.
McEachin was joined at the Friday event by local elected officials, community leaders, and family members of Rev. Harris.
McEachin introduced H.R. 3847, the legislation to rename the Hopewell Post Office. The bill was supported by the entire Virginia delegation and signed into law in 2020.
“It was an honor to host the renaming and dedication service commemorating ground-breaking civil rights hero, Rev. Curtis West Harris. He was an inspiring local leader, community activist, and advocate,” said Rep. McEachin (VA-04). “From leading the Virginia chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to serving as a top lieutenant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Harris was a tireless champion in the fight for equal rights. He never forgot his home in Hopewell and served as a local elected leader, Hopewell’s first Black mayor, and as a pastor of Union Baptist Church for nearly fifty years. I was proud to introduce legislation to honor his life and legacy and hope residents of Hopewell are reminded of his contributions whenever they visit the post office.”
“The Harris family was overjoyed with the renaming event. We applaud Congressman McEachin and the Post Office staff for all of their hard work. Our father, Rev. Curtis W. Harris, was a man dedicated to his home of Hopewell, to the Commonwealth, and to the nation,” said Michael Harris, Rev. Curtis Harris’s youngest son. “After the event, we held a reception where we received family, friends, and colleagues that our father worked with. We organized voter registration and COVID-19 testing in cooperation with the city, FEMA, and the Union Baptist Church, where Dr. Harris pastored for 46 years. We had incredible community involvement thanks to the dedication service. We know our father would have wanted us to use the opportunity in this way. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Congressman McEachin and his staff for their work. It was a blessed day, and we are very appreciative.”
Watch the full renaming and dedication service here.
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