H4358 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 14, 2020 second highest military award for valor CLARA LUPER POST OFFICE Her initiative helped inspire the 1961 in the United States. Naming a post of- BUILDING Greensboro, North Carolina, sit-in at fice in his honor will serve as a tribute Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New the Woolworth’s lunch counter, which to a true American hero taken from us York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend fueled momentum within the civil far too soon. the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5597) to rights movement. I would like to thank Representative designate the facility of the United Ms. Luper continued her fight for KHANNA, a distinguished member of the States Postal Service located at 305 freedom. She was arrested 26 times, in- Committee on Oversight and Reform, Northwest 5th Street in Oklahoma tegrated the history department at the for this legislation to honor this Amer- City, Oklahoma, as the ‘‘Clara Luper University of Oklahoma by becoming ican hero. Post Office Building’’. its first African-American graduate of Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of The Clerk read the title of the bill. the master’s program and worked tire- my time. The text of the bill is as follows: lessly across the State in pursuit of her Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- H.R. 5597 vision for justice. We should com- self such time as I may consume. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- memorate this heroine of the civil Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. resentatives of the United States of America in rights movement by naming a post of- 4672 which would name a Cupertino, Congress assembled, fice in her honor. California, post office after Petty Offi- SECTION 1. CLARA LUPER POST OFFICE BUILD- Mr. Speaker, I thank the honorable cer 2nd Class Matthew Axelson, a Navy ING. gentlewoman and my very good friend (a) DESIGNATION.—The facility of the SEAL. from Oklahoma, Representative HORN, United States Postal Service located at 305 for this legislation to honor a heroine Petty Officer Axelson was born and Northwest 5th Street in Oklahoma City, raised in Cupertino. After graduating of the civil rights movement. Oklahoma, shall be known and designated as Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of from college, he joined the U.S. Navy, the ‘‘Clara Luper Post Office Building’’. my time. eventually earning a spot as an elite (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- Navy SEAL serving on SEAL Team 10. map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the facility re- self such time as I may consume. He was deployed to Afghanistan in ferred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2005 and served as part of a four-man be a reference to the ‘‘Clara Luper Post Of- 5597, which would name a post office in special reconnaissance element that fice Building’’. Oklahoma after Clara Luper. participated in Operation Red Wings, a The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Luper believed that Oklahoma and mission to counter fundamentalist ant to the rule, the gentlewoman from the United States should be a place forces in the Kunar province of Afghan- New York (Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY) where everyone is treated equally with istan. and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. respect. On June 28, 2005, Petty Officer CLOUD) each will control 20 minutes. In 1958, she and 14 of her NAACP Axelson’s unit was assigned to kill or The Chair recognizes the gentle- youth council students organized one capture Ahmad Shah, a high-ranking woman from New York. of the first U.S. sit-ins at a Katz Drug Taliban leader in the Hindu Kush GENERAL LEAVE Store in Oklahoma. They tried to order mountains. He and two other team Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New a hamburger and soda knowing that members were killed in action as part York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous they would be refused solely because of of an ambush by enemy forces, but not consent that all Members may have 5 the color of their skin. until after the four-man group fought legislative days in which to revise and Though they were assaulted, they ferociously back against a signifi- extend their remarks and include ex- stayed with their cause. And within cantly larger force. Axelson continued traneous material on the measure. days, Katz Drug Stores integrated to fight alongside his teammates after The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there their lunch counters in Oklahoma and being wounded in the head and chest, objection to the request of the gentle- three other States. but he ultimately succumbed to his woman from New York? This sit-in helped inspire the 1961 sit- wounds. Axelson was posthumously There was no objection. ins at the Woolworth’s lunch counter awarded the Navy Cross, the second Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New in Greensboro, which was a critical mo- highest military award for valor. York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such ment during the civil rights movement. The sole remaining survivor of the time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to team wrote a book about the coura- Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my support this legislation, and I reserve geous actions of these men called colleagues in consideration of H.R. 5597 the balance of my time. ‘‘Lone Survivor’’ which was later to designate the facility of the United Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New turned into a movie of the same name. States Postal Service located at 305 York. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much Mr. Speaker, Petty Officer Axelson’s Northwest 5th Street, Oklahoma City, time as she may consume to the gen- actions are a profile in courage. I urge Oklahoma, as the Clara Luper Post Of- tlewoman from the great State of my colleagues to support this legisla- fice Building. Oklahoma (Ms. KENDRA S. HORN). tion, and I yield back the balance of Clara Luper made her mark in a time Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma. my time. when people of color could not even Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman walk through the front door of Okla- MALONEY for taking up this important b 1545 homa City businesses. She had a vision bill to honor Clara Luper and her sac- for equality, a heart for service, and a rifice. Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New commitment to justice. She knew that Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to urge York. Mr. Speaker, I have no further Oklahoma and this country could be a passage of H.R. 5597, a bill to rename speakers, and I now close urging pas- place where everyone is treated with the downtown Oklahoma City Post Of- sage of H.R. 4672. respect, dignity, and humanity. fice in honor of Clara Luper. I yield back the balance of my time. In August of 1958, Ms. Luper and 14 of Clara Luper, known as the mother of The SPEAKER pro tempore. The her NAACP youth council students or- Oklahoma’s civil rights movement was question is on the motion offered by ganized one of America’s first sit-ins a teacher, a publisher, and so much the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. when they entered Katz Drug Store in more. On August 19, 1958, Luper and 13 CAROLYN B. MALONEY) that the House Oklahoma City to order a hamburger NAACP youth council students led the suspend the rules and pass the bill, and a Coke. They were denied service Nation’s first lunch counter sit-in at H.R. 4672. but refused to leave. Though they were Katz Drug Store in downtown Okla- The question was taken; and (two- verbally and physically assaulted, they homa City. thirds being in the affirmative) the persisted. These sit-ins inspired similar action rules were suspended and the bill was Within days of the sit-in, Katz Drug across the south during the civil rights passed. Stores integrated their lunch counters movement, including the Woolworth’s A motion to reconsider was laid on not just in Oklahoma City, but in three lunch counter sit-in in Greensboro, the table. other States as well. North Carolina. VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:33 Sep 15, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K14SE7.032 H14SEPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE September 14, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H4359 When Luper and the NAACP students designate the facility of the United marches and engage in other forms of sat down at that lunch counter, they States Postal Service located at 117 action for decades despite repeated knew they would be refused. They also West Poythress Street in Hopewell, threats against his life and his family. knew what was on the line. In Ms. Virginia, as the ‘‘Reverend Curtis West He later would be elected to the Luper’s words, ‘‘Within that ham- Harris Post Office Building’’. Hopewell City Council and became burger, was the whole essence of de- The Clerk read the title of the bill. Hopewell’s first Black mayor in 1998. mocracy.’’ The text of the bill is as follows: Reverend Harris died on December 10, Each day they returned to the drug- H.R. 3847 2017, at the age of 93. He was buried in store with more people asking to be Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- Appomattox Cemetery, the same ceme- served. Though verbally and physically resentatives of the United States of America in tery he fought to integrate in 1960.