[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 62 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 62

   Expressing the sense of Congress that Congress, as well as people 
throughout the Nation, should hold an annual commemorative event on or 
near August 20th to revere, honor, and remember the victims of slavery 
in the United States as well as to prevent slavery from ever happening 
                                 again.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 18, 2023

Mr. Green of Texas submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
     was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of Congress that Congress, as well as people 
throughout the Nation, should hold an annual commemorative event on or 
near August 20th to revere, honor, and remember the victims of slavery 
in the United States as well as to prevent slavery from ever happening 
                                 again.

Whereas this resolution may be cited as the ``Original Slavery Remembrance Day 
        Memorialization Resolution'';
Whereas the institution of slavery was a crime against humanity;
Whereas the institution of slavery, which was intrinsically inhumane and 
        abhorrent, imposed countless years of suffering on millions of innocent 
        individuals, forever marking our Nation's past;
Whereas any attempt to minimize or rationalize the severity of slavery must be 
        steadfastly rejected;
Whereas the abhorrent notion slavery may have been more beneficial than 
        detrimental to those enslaved at any point in time is utterly false and 
        harmful;
Whereas the enslaved people, regardless of their age, sex, or status, were 
        subjected to a spectrum of brutalities and inhumanities, from relentless 
        physical and psychological abuse to systemic dehumanization;
Whereas the forced labor endured by the enslaved was not only physically 
        strenuous but often involved dangerous tasks, leaving the enslaved 
        vulnerable to accidents, disease, and in many cases, resulting in 
        premature death;
Whereas physical punishment, often extreme, was a daily reality for the 
        enslaved, aimed not only at ensuring their submission but also at 
        instilling fear and eroding their self-worth;
Whereas the enslaved in the United States lived under constant threat of sexual 
        exploitation, a tool wielded to exert control and further degrade them;
Whereas one of the most heart-wrenching aspects of slavery was the forced 
        separation of families;
Whereas the system of slavery sinisterly disregarded familial bonds between 
        spouses, siblings, parents and their children by selling them to 
        different enslavers;
Whereas the enslaved were stripped of their dignity, identities, cultures, and 
        languages, by enslavers to erase their humanity;
Whereas many enslaved individuals died unnamed, unacknowledged, and 
        unappreciated, their lives and contributions lost in the shameful 
        shadows of the institution that dehumanized them;
Whereas White supremacy and the repercussions of slavery did not end with the 
        abolition of the institution;
Whereas slavery has left an enduring legacy that can still be observed in 
        various forms, including systemic racism and social inequality;
Whereas descendants of enslaved individuals continue to be impacted by the 
        lasting effects of slavery, manifesting in disparities in health, 
        education, and wealth accumulation;
Whereas it is critical to recognize and address the racial wealth gap, a direct 
        product of slavery and subsequent discriminatory practices, which 
        hampers the ability of African Americans to accumulate wealth comparable 
        to White Americans;
Whereas future generations must be vigilant in recognizing and combating signs 
        of racial prejudice, social inequality, as well as all other forms of 
        invidious discrimination, exploitation, and subjugation;
Whereas the fight against contemporary progenies of slavery, such as human 
        trafficking, must be relentless to ensure history does not repeat 
        itself;
Whereas education and public awareness are essential tools in preventing the 
        resurgence of practices reminiscent of slavery, emphasizing the 
        importance of teaching the history of slavery in a truthful and 
        comprehensive manner;
Whereas, in addition to acknowledging the atrocities committed, it is essential 
        to remember and celebrate the strength, resilience, and contributions of 
        the enslaved, as well as their survival and resistance against a system 
        designed to annihilate their identities and self-worth; and
Whereas the Nation must commit to a continuous process of reconciliation and 
        healing, acknowledging the historical truth about slavery as well as its 
        enduring impact, while working toward meaningful reparative justice: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This resolution may be cited as the ``Original Slavery Remembrance 
Day Memorialization Resolution''.

SEC. 2. SLAVERY REMEMBRANCE DAY COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS.

    (a) Encouraging People To Hold Events.--
            (1) Architect of the capitol.--It is the sense of Congress 
        that Congress, in consultation with the Library of Congress and 
        the Smithsonian Institution, should hold an annual 
        commemorative event on an appropriate day at a location in the 
        United States Capitol Complex to revere, honor, and remember 
        the victims of slavery.
            (2) Others.--Congress encourages all people of good will 
        throughout the Nation to hold an annual commemorative event on 
        an appropriate day to revere, honor, and remember the victims 
        of slavery.
    (b) Location of Events.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
annual commemorative event described in this section should be held at 
a location that can provide an appropriate degree of solemnity and 
dignity for such an occasion.
    (c) Dialogue of Event.--It is the sense of Congress that the annual 
commemorative event described in this section should feature the 
dialogue recommended in section 3 or a close variation of such 
dialogue.
    (d) Purpose.--The commemorative event described in this section is 
designed to serve as a memorial to the victims of slavery, to educate 
the public about the historical reality as well as the lasting impact 
of slavery, and to inspire continued commitment to not only fight 
contemporary racial injustice and inequality, but also to continue the 
struggle for reverence and justice for the enslaved whose lives were 
sacrificed to make America great.

SEC. 3. DIALOGUE.

    (a) Contents.--The dialogue recommended in this section is as 
follows:
            ``If you can, please join me by standing and placing your 
        right hand over your heart to show heartfelt sorrow for the 
        millions who suffered the horrors of slavery.
            ``Over the next few minutes, we will recall various well 
        documented aspects of the experiences of American slaves.
            ``At the end of each of these summarized experiences I will 
        say the words `we must':
            ``Immediately after I say, `we must' I would like you (each 
        of you) to, in unison, say `always remember'.
            ``Let's begin.
            ``To prevent the evils of slavery from being repeated we 
        must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``To commemorate the suffering and the lives lost because 
        of slavery we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For the first 20 enslaved Africans who arrived in the 
        British colonies at Point Comfort near what is now Norfolk 
        Virginia on August 20, 1619, we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For the 12 million humans from all walks of life whose 
        lives were stolen from them when they were kidnaped from Africa 
        we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For the Africans sold into slavery by other Africans we 
        must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For the 12 percent of human beings who suffered the 
        deadly middle passage and did not survive the horrific voyage 
        to America we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For the men, women, and children on slave ships, many of 
        whom were kept naked and packed close together, with many 
        shackled and chained we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For enslaved human beings who often worked from sunup to 
        after sundown, 6 to 7 days a week often without food we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For the mothers and fathers who were separated from their 
        children and sold on the auction blocks we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For the freedom fighters such as Nat Turner who fought to 
        free enslaved people; who gave their lives in the fight for 
        freedom and justice we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For the tens of thousands of slaves who risked their 
        lives in search of freedom on the Underground Railroad we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For freedom fighters such as Harriet Tubman, who escaped 
        slavery and dedicated her life to returning to the South no 
        less than 13 times freeing enslaved men women and children, we 
        must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``For the White liberators like John Brown and President 
        Abraham Lincoln who lived and died combating the horrific 
        institution of slavery we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``To commemorate the centuries of suffering, the years of 
        tears shed, the history of hearts broken, the brutality of 
        blood spilled, and the grieving over lives lost because of 
        slavery we must:
            ``Always remember.
            ``Yet, in the spirit of righteous remembrance imbued with 
        love for our country that hasn't always loved its brothers and 
        sisters of African ancestry, we have to acknowledge that:
            ``In spite of slavery and despite its invidious offsprings: 
        mass lynchings, convict leasing, Black codes, lawful 
        segregation, and institutional racism, African Americans have 
        come a laudably long way.
            ``From our arrival on slave ships to our ascension to 
        judgeships,
            ``From surviving the Middle Passage to thriving among the 
        masses,
            ``From shackled in chains to creating societal change,
            ``From sitting in the back of buses to owning bus 
        companies,
            ``From having no house to living in the White House,
            ``From painfully picking cotton to proudly picking 
        Presidents,
            ``From adult males and females being disrespectfully called 
        boy and girl to being respectfully presented as Mr. President 
        and Madam Vice President.
            ``The truth be told, although we have come a long way, we 
        still have a way to go.
            ``In closing let us resolve that as we forge forward we 
        will commemorate our past and embrace our destiny, always 
        remembering the hardships people of African heritage have 
        endured in tandem with the victories won in spite of the 
        seemingly invincible challenges emanating from insidious 
        slavery and its invidious progenies!
            ``Through it all we must:
            ``Always Remember.
            ``We must:
            ``Always Remember.
            ``We must:
            ``Always Remember.
            ``If you can, I would ask that you participate in a moment 
        of silent solemnity at noon on August 20th wherever you may be.
            ``During this moment, wherever you are, place your right 
        hand over your heart and with a moment of silent solemnity, 
        give thought to the millions who toiled and lost their lives 
        under slavery, and lovingly utter the phrase `I Remember'.''.
    (b) Recitation.--The dialogue set forth in subsection (a) is to be 
recited by the leader of the event, except that each instance of 
``Always remember.'' is to be recited by the audience.
                                 <all>