The future name of Roanoke’s federal building is in the hands of the speaker of the House of Representatives after Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt County, cleared the way for a bill that proposes renaming the building after Reuben E. Lawson, a civil rights “giant” from Roanoke.
The bill unanimously passed the Senate earlier this year. In the House, it has been “held at the desk” since March 1, meaning that it is up for immediate consideration but not assigned to a committee, according to ProQuest. Cline’s action in “clearing” the bill allows House Speaker Mike Johnson to decide whether the House will take a vote.
Currently, the Roanoke federal building is named for Richard Poff, a Republican congressman from Radford who publicly opposed integration and repeatedly voted against the Civil Rights Act. He served in Congress from 1953 to 1972.
It’s not clear how much support the measure would have if it does come up for a vote in the House.
Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, whose 9th District would be Poff’s modern-day district, said he doesn’t like the idea of removing Poff’s name.
“I am generally supportive of additive history, not subtractive history,” Griffith said in a statement. “Therefore, I would prefer a bill that adds Reuben Lawson’s name to the Richard H. Poff Federal Building so that we recognize the good things Poff did during his time in the United States Congress and as a justice on the Virginia Supreme Court and at the same time recognize the good things that Reuben Lawson accomplished.”
Jennifer Victor, professor of political science at George Mason University, said it’s common for a bill to sit around in Congress for several months. However, Michael Ricci, a fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service who served as an aide to several House speakers, said it’s “odd” that it’s been held for more than five months.
He said Cline’s “clearing” of the bill might be a “courtesy.” By tradition, House members who represent districts affected by a bill — in this case, Cline — are given a chance to weigh in on whether the legislation should move forward.
Cline did not say whether he will support the bill. “While I have no objection to Senator Warner’s bill, the decision about whether and when to consider it in the House in the remaining days of the 118th Congress rests with the Speaker of the House,” he said in a statement via email.
Cline’s spokespeople did not respond to further questions regarding next steps for the bill. Johnson’s office also did not respond to a request for comment.
Former U.S. Attorney John Fishwick, who has been spearheading the effort to rename the building, said, “We’re grateful for the opportunity for everybody in Congress to vote for it, and we’re hoping that it happens this fall.”
In 2022, Fishwick began pushing for the name change with the Rev. Edward Burton, who was the vice president of the Roanoke branch of the NAACP in the 1960s, when Lawson was an attorney with the organization.
This past December, Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats, introduced legislation in their chamber to rename the building.
Fishwick said this update is a result of meetings in January and July between himself, Burton and Cline. Fishwick said Cline has been supportive throughout the process.
The idea to rename the building came after Fishwick came across some of Lawson’s court cases in his work. Lawson worked to integrate schools in the region that had resisted Brown v. Board of Education.
Lawson’s work also included convincing the Roanoke City Council to integrate the stands of a 1961 Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Colts football game at Roanoke’s Victory Stadium, despite Virginia law requiring segregated seating at the time. The NFL never again played before a segregated crowd.
“I think [the renaming] would give us a more accurate picture of the history of Roanoke and the civil rights movement as it took place in the Roanoke Valley,” said Burton. “I’m excited about this whole idea of naming the building after somebody whom I knew personally.”
Lawson’s impact has been overlooked in Roanoke’s history for two reasons.
First, he worked in the shadow of another legal titan in the civil rights field, Oliver Hill, who grew up in Roanoke and practiced in Richmond. Second, Lawson died young, at age 43.
Burton said he remembers a cot in Lawson’s office. Lawson had heart trouble, Burton said, and would need to lie down periodically throughout the workday.
“That says a whole lot about his personality,” Burton said. “He was so determined to do this work. … I really do think that he is a giant.”
Fishwick said that the more he learns about Lawson, the more he thinks that Lawson is someone who has “not received the credit that he is due.”
“And, ultimately, I think a courthouse should reflect the values that a courthouse is open for business to any citizen. And Reuben Lawson embodies that,” he said.
It’s unclear whether the bill will be amended, voted on in the House, or supported by Cline, Johnson and Griffith.