The Deep Wood, Musty Creek Racist

On the corner of Constitution Ave and First Street NE, sits the old Senate Russell Office Building. It is the oldest of the United States Senate office buildings. It was built from 1903 to 1908 and opened in 1909. In 1972 the building was renamed to honor Senator Richard “All You Can Do Is Shine My Shoes Boy” Russell Jr. from Georgia. Now, you have all kinds of racist down south. You got your Mississippi ” Dirty Clay Redback”, and also your Louisiana “I Swear To God Nigger”, but almost ain’t nothing compares to a Georgian “Deep Wood Musty Creek. Russell was a Deep Wood Musty Creek racist.

Senator Russell was member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 66th Governor of Georgia from 1931 to 1933 before serving in the United States Senate for almost 40 years, from 1933 to 1971. Russell was a founder and leader of the conservative coalition that dominated Congress from 1937 to 1963, and at his death was the most senior member of the Senate. He was for decades a leader of Southern opposition to the civil rights movement. Now to give you an idea of what kind of cloth we talking about, In a report given by the Equal Justice Initative, only the Mississippi ” Dirty Clay Redbacks,” surpassed the Georgian “Deep Wood Musty Creek,” racist in the number of lynching during the period from just after the Civil War to the end WWII. As an aside, the number of folks lynched also includes white folks. Yes sir… those Dirty Clay Redback’s and Deep Wood Musty Creek racist were equal opportunity lynchers when it came to whites helping people of color.

Russell supported racial segregation and co-authored the Southern Manifesto with Strom Thurmond. The Southern Manifesto was a document written in February and March 1956, in the United States Congress, in opposition to racial integration of public places. The manifesto was signed by 19 senators and 82 representatives. All were Southern Democrats. Three Southern Senate Democrats refused to sign, Albert Gore Sr. (father of Al Gore), Estes Kefauver of Tennessee and Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas. Russell and his fellow Southern Senators blocked the passage of civil rights legislation via the filibuster. President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, Russell led a Southern boycott of the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Russell served in the Senate until his death from emphysema in 1971.

In a statement Saturday, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said he would be introducing a resolution for the building’s name to be changed “so that generations remember him.” Chuck Schumer’s call to rename the Senate Office Building for the late Sen. John McCain received support from prominent members of Congress. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, McCain’s longtime state colleague, said he wanted to be the “first Republican co-sponsor” for the name change, adding it would be one honor among “many other things that we need to do, but that’s a good one.” You are right… that’s a good one Jeff. Let’s all support Congress and this bi-partisan resolution in removing that “Deep Wood Musty Creek” racist name from a building that’s been paid for and maintained by our taxes. In a nod to the “Gipper,” Mr. Schumer tear that name down!!