Judge James R. Williams Post Office Building

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9322 to designate the United States Post Office located at 675 Wolf Ledges Parkway in Akron, Ohio, as the Judge James R. Williams Post Office Building.

This bill has earned unanimous bipartisan support from every member of the Ohio delegation, and I thank my colleagues from the Ohio delegation for lending their names to this bill.

Judge James R. Williams lived an impressive and meaningful life that continues to impact Ohio's 13th Congressional District through his life's work as a civil rights leader, city councilman, civic leader, judge, scholar, and veteran.

Born in Columbus, Mississippi, Judge Williams moved to Ohio following Active-Duty service in the United States Army. He attended the University of Akron and was one of the first Black students to graduate from the university's school of law, blazing a trail for a more inclusive and diverse legal field.

After law school, Mr. Williams went into private practice until 1978, when he was appointed as the United States attorney for the Northern District of Ohio by President Jimmy Carter. Six years later, he was appointed as judge for the Akron Municipal Court and elected to that court in 1985 and 1987.

Judge Williams became the first Black judge to serve on the Summit County Court of Common Pleas when he was appointed to the bench in 1989. He was elected three more times, serving the people of Summit County, including presiding over several high-profile cases of national importance.

Mr. Speaker, if I may, I had the opportunity to work with Judge Williams when I was a summer law clerk at the Akron Municipal Court, and he was a tough but fair jurist. He reminded me that coming to the court, you will see people who are experiencing perhaps the worst day of their life, and you have to remember that your job is to provide justice and kindness to those before you.

Judge Williams' distinguished service continued in his private life as a civil rights activist and leader for many civic organizations, including as secretary of the Akron NAACP and vice-president of the Ohio NAACP.

Mr. Speaker, on a special note, Judge Williams was elected as the 25th general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, the oldest intercollegiate fraternity for Black men, where he was the principal founder of the Alpha Phi Alpha Homes, Incorporated, a visionary nonprofit responsible for building 1,600 housing units in northeast Ohio, including low-income and senior housing units in 10 northeast Ohio communities.

Today is Alpha Phi Alpha's 118th celebration. I can't think of a more fitting way to recognize the fraternity and its 25th general president than with the naming of this post office.

Judge Williams was a legal luminary whose unwavering dedication to justice paved the way for future generations of leaders in Akron and across the country. I am proud to lead the effort to rename the Wolf Ledges Post Office in Akron to honor his memory and to serve as a reminder of the ongoing impact of his legacy on our community.

Sadly, Judge Williams passed away in 2020. Upon his passing, his wife, Jewell, offered these words from an old hymn that summed up his character which said: May the work I have done speak for me. May the service I give speak for me.

Mr. Speaker, I hope you and all of my colleagues will join me in honoring Judge James Williams' lifetime of accomplishments and legacy of service by voting in favor of this bill.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source