Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Serrano announced that H.R. 6282, his legislation to rename the Morris Heights Post Office after former Tuskegee Airman and Bronx Community College President Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. has been approved in the Senate. The bill now heads to the President’s desk for his approval. Congressman Serrano introduced the legislation on September 28th, along with Congressmen Charles Rangel, Eliot Engel, and the rest of the New York Delegation in the House of Representative. In a letter to the Chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee in the Senate, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand expressed their strong support for the bill in the Senate.
Congressman Serrano introduced the legislation on September 28th, along with Congressmen Charles Rangel, Eliot Engel, and the rest of the New York Delegation in the House of Representatives.
“I am proud to see this legislation to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. reach this important milestone, and I thank my colleagues Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their lead in the Senate to see it approved before the end of this Congress,” said Congressman Serrano. “Dr. Brown was a trailblazer who fought heroically for his country despite segregation during World War II and improved the lives of countless New Yorkers and Americans through his work in the Civil Rights Movement and the education field. He challenged the status quo and made the Bronx, New York City, and our country a better and more fair place for all. I was proud to call him a friend, and I thank Congressman Rangel, Congressman Engel and the rest of the New York Delegation for working with me on this bill. Bronxites will now be able to always remember Dr. Roscoe Brown’s life and legacy with this honor.”
“Dr. Roscoe Brown, Jr. was a hero and civil rights leader who left an indelible mark on both his community in the Bronx and the country as a whole. Renaming the post office after Dr. Brown will be a lasting tribute to his service to this country, and allow his legacy to live on in an enduring way. Now that this bill has passed Congress, I hope that the President swiftly signs it into law so that Dr. Roscoe Brown, Jr.’s name adorns the post office as soon as possible,” said U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer.
“Dr. Roscoe Brown, Jr. devoted his entire career to serving others, first as a Tuskegee Airman during World War II and later on as an influential civil rights leader and esteemed professor and college president right here in the Bronx,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This designation would be a fitting tribute to an individual who never hesitated to answer the call of service – helping to keep our country safe, educating the next generation and moving his community and the country forward through his advocacy.”
“I am proud to join Reps. Serrano and Engel to honor Dr. Brown who was a dear friend and hero. His service in World War II as a member of the prestigious Tuskegee Airmen who risked their lives fighting for our freedoms overseas even as they faced discrimination at home. This bill ensures that future generations will remember this remarkable man and be inspired by his great service to our country and community,” said Congressman Rangel.
I am pleased that both the House and Senate have approved the designation of the Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. Post Office Building. Naming the Jerome Avenue Post Office for Dr. Brown is a lasting tribute to a great man who served his Country and fought for the rights of all Americans. Brown was more than just my constituent: he was a national hero, a scholar, and an inspiration. I am pleased that Bronx residents will have an opportunity to remember his many accomplishments every time they step into this post office, said Congressman Engel.
Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. was a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen unit, where he conducted 68 missions and became one of the first African-American fighter pilots to shoot down a German fighter jet during World War II. His heroism earned him and his fellow airmen a Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush in 2007. Dr. Brown earned his graduate and doctoral degrees from New York University, where he went on to serve as a professor of education and director of Afro-American Affairs. During the racial upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s, he served as an informal advisor to many Civil Rights leaders and helped found 100 Black Men, a civic organization advocating for better treatment of African-Americans in New York City. Dr. Brown also served as President of Bronx Community College for 17 years.