JACKSON – President Barack Obama has signed a bill designating the new FBI building in Jackson the “James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and Roy K. Moore Federal Building.”
House Bill Number 3562 requesting the designation passed the House of Representatives on Sept. 16, 2010 with all present Members of the House voting in favor of the legislation. The bill was approved by the Senate on August 5, 2010 by unanimous consent. Obama signed the bill on Sept. 28.
Congressman Bennie Thompson, who spoke earlier about the importance of the bill, said this is a fitting tribute to the four men who “committed their lives to fighting for justice and equality.”
“I am pleased that the President has signed this legislation into law to honor the contributions of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, and FBI Agent Roy K. Moore,” said Thompson. “These men committed their lives to fighting for justice and equality. With the naming of this building, may the memory of their contributions continue to inspire Mississippians for many years to come.”
Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner were working to register black voters in Neshoba County when they were kidnapped and killed by Ku Klux Klansmen in the “Mississippi Burning” case.
Chaney was from Meridian.
Moore established the first FBI field office in Mississippi after the three men disappeared. Moore also investigated other civil-rights era crimes.
“While the naming of this building pales in comparison to the loss of a son or brother,” Thompson said. “We hope that the families of these three young men will find solace in our acknowledgment of their contribution by naming the latest symbol of justice in Mississippi after their loved ones.”
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