Signed bill honors Riverside icon

President Trump signed a bill on Tuesday that designates the U. S. Postal Service office on Chicago Avenue to be renamed after the late NAACP president Waudieur “Woodie” Rucker-Hughes.

The bill H.R. 5983 was introduced by Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and the 4150 Chicago Avenue Post Office, now the Woodie Rucker-Hughes Post Office Building, will become the second Riverside landmark to bear her name. In November of last year, a street located around 15th Street and Prospect Avenue was dedicated as Woodie Way after the city council voted for its renaming in her honor.

“Woodie was an icon in our community, and I was lucky enough to call her a dear friend,” Takano said in Tuesday’s press release. “She was committed to working on the issues that impact all of our lives, and her tireless efforts truly made our community a better place.”

Among the civil rights activist’s many accomplishments, Rucker-Hughes served as an administrator for the Riverside Unified School District, as president of the NAACP Riverside Charter and as a district coordinator for homeless education. She was also a recipient of the mayor’s Carlos Cortéz Award for her commitment to inclusivity and diversity.

When Rucker-Hughes passed away in July 2018, former mayor Rusty Bailey called Rucker-Hughes a true community hero and friend.

“She worked tirelessly to ensure that the learning environment was constructive for all students following the school board’s decision to desegregate, and more recently dedicated herself to breaking down educational and social barriers for homeless youth and students in foster and group homes,” Bailey said in a Facebook post on the day of Rucker-Hughes’ passing.