Reverend Harold Middlebrook Post Office Building

Floor Speech

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Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9360) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 300 Macedonia Lane in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the ``Reverend Harold Middlebrook Post Office Building''.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 9360

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. REVEREND HAROLD MIDDLEBROOK POST OFFICE BUILDING.

(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal Service located at 300 Macedonia Lane in Knoxville, Tennessee, shall be known and designated as the ``Reverend Harold Middlebrook 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 ``Reverend Harold Middlebrook Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, this is a post office I hope we can name in honor of Reverend Harold Middlebrook. He is a well-known figure in our community and a civil rights leader. He was a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King. As a matter of fact, he was part of the Memphis Sanitation worker strike in Memphis, Tennessee. He was arrested multiple times for alleged violations, but as we know, those weren't real violations. He was exhibiting his constitutional right. He was at the Lorraine Motel when King was assassinated.

In 1986, he founded the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission in Knoxville. For the record, every year they have the march, it is the coldest day in Knoxville. I always remember that because it is always cold.

Dr. Middlebrook has been a dear friend. I will say for the record that he has never voted for me, and he probably never will vote for me, but he is still my dear friend.

When I was mayor, I had him come to speak to the kids in my office, and we took him to lunch. I wanted them to know what they endured during the civil rights movement and what this country endured. I think it is more important than seeing it in black and white on TV or reading it in a magazine, but to hear it and see it from his eyes.

He spent his whole life befriending and mentoring folks in our community. He has been a dear friend to me and our Knoxville community, and he is a pretty dignified guy.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that we can pass this, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I am proud to support this bill to honor Reverend Harold Middlebrook.

I should have said in my notes earlier that there was an Urban League dinner, and Dr. Middlebrook, I thought, kind of had carried a heavy load his whole life. I remembered he was sitting off to the side. I was mayor of the county, and they asked me to come sit at the head table with all the, I guess, leaders.

Dr. Middlebrook was not at that table. My wife and I sat over at the side with Harold Middlebrook because I told him: You run with the ones that brung you, Preacher. He laughed and smiled. He told us great stories all night. I meant to say that, and I apologize.

I am proud to support this bill to honor my dear friend, Reverend Harold Middlebrook, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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