The U S Federal Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia is a place where the scales of justice should equally weighted for all. The name attached to that facility should reflect the same principles.

The career of Richard B. Russell - U S Senator from the State of Georgia was a career defined by his support and defense of racial segregation. Along with Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, he co-authored the Southern Manifesto - a document created to counter the landmark Supreme Court 1954 ruling Brown v. Board of Education, which determined that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. 

In 1964, when President Lyndon Johnson delivered his State of the Union Address, calling for anti-discrimination legislation, Russell issued a statement stating the commitment by Southern senators to oppose such a measure.

His name and legacy do not represent the ideals of "all men are created equal" and  "justice for all" and should be removed from this federal facility. We further propose that this building, located in the State of Georgia, be renamed to honor the late great civil rights figure, Representative John R. Lewis.