Albert Turner, Sr. Post Office Building

Floor Speech

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Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7893, a bill to rename the Perry County Post Office in Marion, Alabama, after the late civil rights legend and former Perry County Commissioner, Albert Turner, Sr.

Widely known as Martin Luther King, Jr.'s point man in the Black belt, Albert Turner, Sr., played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement, helping to organize voter registration drives, protests, and work closely with civil rights leaders to advance voting rights and economic empowerment for African Americans.

Albert Turner, Sr., was one of the many foot soldiers who put his life on the line by marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday in my hometown of Selma, Alabama, to ensure that Black Americans were afforded equal access to the ballot box.

Albert Turner, Sr., was a true champion for racial equality and justice in the Perry County community. He cofounded the Perry County Civic League, which organized protests and boycotts for racial integration of schools and public facilities. His voter mobilization efforts inspired civil rights leaders and earned him the title of field secretary for the Alabama Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Even after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Turner's commitment to the cause of Black advancement never wavered. He proudly led the southwest Alabama Farmers Cooperative association to improve Black farmers' access to government loans and address the rising costs of agricultural machinery and supplies. He also served as a Perry County Commissioner for four terms, initiating and championing education, healthcare initiatives, and economic development for the poor and working-class residents.

Currently, his son, Albert Turner, Jr., is serving as chairman of the Perry County Commission, carrying on his father's proud legacy of public service. The efforts of Albert Turner, Sr., paved the way for many freedoms that we as African Americans enjoy today.

It is my hope that by renaming the Marion post office after him, we can ensure that his legacy lives on forever. I ask my House colleagues to join me and the entire Alabama delegation in voting in favor of H.R. 7893, renaming the post office in Marion, Alabama, the Albert Turner, Sr. Post Office. May Albert Turner, Sr., rest in peace and power and his legacy of civil rights endure forever.

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