Representative Al Green from Texas is calling on senators to consider renaming the Russell Senate office building, citing its historical ties to civil rights suppression and white supremacy.
In his correspondence, Green highlighted that Senator Russell, during his tenure, was an ardent supporter of those opposed to civil rights. He pointed out that the senator, who served from Georgia until his death in 1971, publicly labeled America as a “white country” and actively opposed equality for Black citizens.
Russell, who was also Georgia’s governor in the 1930s, held a Senate seat for nearly four decades. Green suggested that the building could temporarily be referred to as the “old Senate office building,” until a new name is agreed upon—a structure that was established in the early 1900s and is currently utilized by 33 senators and five committees.
He emphasized the need to remove what he calls an affront to those who support equality in a building funded by taxpayers. Green mentioned that just because the Senate struggles to reach a consensus on a new permanent name shouldn’t prevent them from reverting to the old name for now.
Back in 2020, Green had also sponsored a resolution advocating for the name change, but it faced resistance from some Georgia senators at the time. In this renewed effort, he reiterated that removing the name of Russell, who represents a legacy of racial division, would be a significant move forward.
Since then, Georgia’s representation has changed, with Senators John Ossoff and Rafael Warnock having taken office in 2021. Notably, Warnock is the state’s first Black senator, while Ossoff is recognized as Georgia’s first Jewish senator.
As of now, Ossoff and Warnock’s offices have not provided comments regarding their stance on Green’s proposal for the name change.
