[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 194 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 194

   Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-
                               Americans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 2007

  Mr. Cohen (for himself, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Jackson-Lee of 
   Texas, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Wexler, Ms. Kilpatrick, Ms. 
   Woolsey, Mr. Pallone, Ms. Lee, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Schakowsky, Mrs. 
 Maloney of New York, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Capuano, 
  Mr. Rangel, Mr. Payne, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Al Green of 
   Texas, Mr. Butterfield, Ms. Watson, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. 
 Carson, Mr. Israel, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Davis of Alabama, Mr. Lewis of 
   Georgia, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Hare, Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. 
Hodes, Mr. Filner, Mr. Honda, and Mr. Kucinich) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-
                               Americans.

Whereas millions of Africans and their descendants were enslaved in the United 
        States and the 13 American colonies from 1619 through 1865;
Whereas slavery in America resembled no other form of involuntary servitude 
        known in history, as Africans were captured and sold at auction like 
        inanimate objects or animals;
Whereas Africans forced into slavery were brutalized, humiliated, dehumanized, 
        and subjected to the indignity of being stripped of their names and 
        heritage;
Whereas enslaved families were torn apart after having been sold separately from 
        one another;
Whereas the system of slavery and the visceral racism against persons of African 
        descent upon which it depended became entrenched in the Nation's social 
        fabric;
Whereas slavery was not officially abolished until the passage of the 13th 
        Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865 after the end of the 
        Civil War, which was fought over the slavery issue;
Whereas after emancipation from 246 years of slavery, African-Americans soon saw 
        the fleeting political, social, and economic gains they made during 
        Reconstruction eviscerated by virulent racism, lynchings, 
        disenfranchisement, Black Codes, and racial segregation laws that 
        imposed a rigid system of officially sanctioned racial segregation in 
        virtually all areas of life;
Whereas the system of de jure racial segregation known as ``Jim Crow,'' which 
        arose in certain parts of the Nation following the Civil War to create 
        separate and unequal societies for whites and African-Americans, was a 
        direct result of the racism against persons of African descent 
        engendered by slavery;
Whereas the system of Jim Crow laws officially existed into the 1960's--a 
        century after the official end of slavery in America--until Congress 
        took action to end it, but the vestiges of Jim Crow continue to this 
        day;
Whereas African-Americans continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery 
        and Jim Crow--long after both systems were formally abolished--through 
        enormous damage and loss, both tangible and intangible, including the 
        loss of human dignity and liberty, the frustration of careers and 
        professional lives, and the long-term loss of income and opportunity;
Whereas the story of the enslavement and de jure segregation of African-
        Americans and the dehumanizing atrocities committed against them should 
        not be purged from or minimized in the telling of American history;
Whereas on July 8, 2003, during a trip to Goree Island, Senegal, a former slave 
        port, President George W. Bush acknowledged slavery's continuing legacy 
        in American life and the need to confront that legacy when he stated 
        that slavery ``was . . . one of the greatest crimes of history . . . The 
        racial bigotry fed by slavery did not end with slavery or with 
        segregation. And many of the issues that still trouble America have 
        roots in the bitter experience of other times. But however long the 
        journey, our destiny is set: liberty and justice for all.'';
Whereas President Bill Clinton also acknowledged the deep-seated problems caused 
        by the continuing legacy of racism against African-Americans that began 
        with slavery when he initiated a national dialogue about race;
Whereas a genuine apology is an important and necessary first step in the 
        process of racial reconciliation;
Whereas an apology for centuries of brutal dehumanization and injustices cannot 
        erase the past, but confession of the wrongs committed can speed racial 
        healing and reconciliation and help Americans confront the ghosts of 
        their past;
Whereas the legislature of the Commonwealth of Virginia has recently taken the 
        lead in adopting a resolution officially expressing appropriate remorse 
        for slavery and other State legislatures are considering similar 
        resolutions; and
Whereas it is important for this country, which legally recognized slavery 
        through its Constitution and its laws, to make a formal apology for 
        slavery and for its successor, Jim Crow, so that it can move forward and 
        seek reconciliation, justice, and harmony for all of its citizens: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, 
        brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow;
            (2) apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people 
        of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and 
        their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow; and
            (3) expresses its commitment to rectify the lingering 
        consequences of the misdeeds committed against African-
        Americans under slavery and Jim Crow and to stop the occurrence 
        of human rights violations in the future.
                                 <all>