Bill To Rename Post Office For Civil Rights Leader Passes US House

WASHINGTON, DC — Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) to rename a Fredericksburg post office after civil rights leader Gladys P. Todd passed the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday on a unanimous vote.

A revered schoolteacher and community organizer, Todd was a luminary in Fredericksburg’s civil right movement and a voting rights advocate. She was considered an instrumental force in the election of Rev. Lawrence A. Davies, Fredericksburg’s first Black mayor, according to a release from Spanberger’s office.

“Mrs. Todd was a force for justice and a force for good. She was an organizer, an educator, and a lifelong member of the NAACP,” Spanberger said, on the House floor on Wednesday. “She fought for equality and opportunity, and she was active in the local civil rights movement across Fredericksburg and the greater Commonwealth.”

Spanberger’s bill would change the name of the post office at 1285 Emancipation Highway on Route 1 in Fredericksburg to the “Gladys P. Todd Post Office."

After the vote, Todd’s grandson June L. Pitchford recalled the impact of his grandmother's civil rights'advocacy:

“When Gladys Todd was growing up in Fredericksburg, there was no secondary school for Black people. My grandmother had to go to boarding school for high school in Petersburg because there was no education for us in this town beyond eighth grade. And to now know there will be a building with her name on it in this same town is a testament to her determination and relentlessness to always fight for what she believed to be right. My family and I want to thank Congresswoman Spanberger and all of those other people who worked alongside my grandmother to make things better for us.”

Spanberger’s legislation was cosponsored by all 11 Members of the Virginia delegation, including U.S. Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Rob Wittman (D-VA-01), Bob Good (D-VA-05), Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), Morgan Griffith (D-VA-09), and Ben Cline (D-VA-06).

The following is the full transcript of Spanberger’s remarks about Todd’s life.

I rise today to recognize an extraordinary Virginian — Gladys P. Todd — whose legacy of service, advocacy, and dedication to advancing civil rights has left an indelible mark on the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia and beyond.

I am proud to lead legislation to rename a post office in Fredericksburg to the “Gladys P. Todd Post Office” in recognition of her pioneering work and her relentless advocacy.

Mrs. Todd was a force for justice and a force for good. She was an organizer, an educator, and a lifelong member of the NAACP. She fought for equality and opportunity, and she was active in the local civil rights movement across Fredericksburg and the greater Commonwealth.

She was known for her tireless work with the NAACP Youth Division, where she helped Black children and teens learn, grow, and thrive.

From establishing a playground to founding the “Youth Canteen” — a community center for young, local students, she worked to make sure young people across Fredericksburg had a safe place to connect, learn, and grow.

Mrs. Todd was also a passionate voting rights advocate. Her work played a pivotal role in the election of Fredericksburg’s first Black mayor.

She made Fredericksburg a more inclusive and equitable place — and her work continues to inspire the community today.

Renaming this post office in her honor is a small but meaningful way to guarantee that her contributions are remembered for generations and that her work is present far into the future.

I would like to thank my colleagues from Virginia for their unanimous support of this legislation and as we are looking to honor this incredible woman, I urge my colleagues to vote yes.