The U.S. House unanimously passed legislation yesterday that allow for the renaming of the United States Post Office at 29 Franklin Street, Petersburg.
The Post Office will be renamed for Congressman John Mercer Langston. The legislation was the first standalone bill passed by the U.S. House that was introduced by Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan of Virginia.
“John Mercer Langston was a staunch abolitionist, civil rights advocate, attorney, civil servant, diplomat, academic leader and trailblazer,” McClellan said. “Throughout his incredible career, he broke boundaries and fought for equal protections under the law for every American. As the first Black woman to represent Virginia in Congress, I stand on his shoulders — the first Black man to represent Virginia, also from Virginia’s Fourth. I am committed to honoring his incredible contributions and building on his legacy to ensure a more just, equitable society for every American. I thank my colleagues for supporting my legislation, and I urge my Senate colleagues to pass this legislation expeditiously.”
Langston was born in Louisa County in 1829. After his parents’ deaths, he was sent to Ohio, where he went on to attend Oberlin College, one of the first colleges to admit Black Americans, and studied law following his graduation. At 24, he became the first Black American to pass the Bar in Ohio. After the start of the Civil War, Langston helped recruit Black men to fight for the Union’s cause. He served as a founding member of the National Equal Rights League, Commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau, and as a law professor and later Dean of the Howard University Law Department. In 1885, he was appointed as the first President of Virginia Normal and College Institute – now Virginia State University. He also served as Virginia’s first Black Member of Congress from 1890 to 1891, representing Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District.
McClellan, the first Black woman to represent Virginia in Congress, spoke in support of the legislation on the House Floor. She introduced the legislation in February 2024 to honor the incredible legacy of Langston and hosted a press conference in Petersburg with community leaders. Every member of the Virginia congressional delegation cosponsors the legislation. The House suspended the rules and passed the bill by voice vote.
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Rebecca Barnabi
