The Petersburg Post Office is now called the John Mercer Langston Post Office Building after President Joe Biden signed Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan’s H.R. 7385.
Langston, an abolitionist, attorney and diplomat, was the first president of the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, which is now Virginia State University, from 1855 to 1857.
“As the first Black woman to represent Virginia in Congress, I stand on the shoulders of the trailblazers who came before me and helped break down barriers. John Mercer Langston, the first Black man to represent Virginia in Congress, also served Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District. Throughout his impressive legal, educational, diplomatic and legislative careers, he served our Commonwealth honorably while pushing the boundaries of what was deemed possible for Black Americans in the 19th Century. I thank President Biden for signing my first standalone bill into law to memorialize John Mercer Langston’s life and legacy by renaming the Petersburg Post Office in his honor,” McClellan said.
In February 2024, McClellan held a press conference at Virginia State University to announce the introduction of her legislation. The U.S. House passed the bill in July 2024, and the U.S. Senate passed it in December 2024. On Saturday, Biden signed McClellan’s legislation into law.
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Rebecca Barnabi
