Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 455 would designate the United States courthouse located at 501 East Court Street in Jackson, Mississippi, as the R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse. Mr. Brown, a native of Oklahoma, attended Illinois State University, Indiana University, and the Texas Southern University law school. In the 1960s, R. Jess Brown was one of only four African-American lawyers licensed to practice in Mississippi. In 1962, Mr. Brown took on his most famous case, where he worked on behalf of James Meredith, an African-American student who sought enrollment at the University of Mississippi. Mr. Brown's successful lawsuit broke the color barrier at the University of Mississippi and helped set the tone for future litigation in the civil rights movement. Although the Meredith case may be his most famous trial, Mr. Brown already had established a history of litigating for civil rights stretching back to 1948, when he sued on behalf of Black teachers in Jackson, Mississippi, who sought salaries on par with their White colleagues. R. Jess Brown helped to break down barriers and set historical precedent that has shaped our Nation for the better. It is only appropriate that we honor the work of Mr. Brown by naming this courthouse after him. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”