[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 111 (Thursday, July 31, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S8612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 115--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR A NATIONAL DAY OF UNITY

  Mrs. BOXER (for herself and Mr. Johnson) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

                              S. Res. 115

       Whereas the President has called for a national dialogue on 
     race;
       Whereas an appropriate way to meet the President's 
     challenge is to establish a National Day of Unity when all 
     Americans can celebrate their common heritage and shared 
     destiny;
       Whereas such a day would be a means to build a bridge that 
     would finally cross the racial and other divides of our 
     Nation and to achieve the unity our Nation desires and needs; 
     and
       Whereas no particular day can close all divisions within 
     our Nation, but by coming together on a National Day of 
     Unity, we can focus the dialogue the President seeks, and 
     that the Nation needs: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That a National Day of Unity should be 
     established in order to facilitate a national dialogue to 
     encourage Americans to renew their commitment to liberty and 
     justice for all and to celebrate our unity.

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to 
express my strong support for the Senate Resolution calling for a 
National Day of Unity submitted by Senator Boxer. This Resolution is a 
direct response to the President's call for a national dialog on race, 
and I applaud the timeliness and the intent of Senator Boxer's efforts.
  The challenges associated with race relations that we have faced as a 
nation are apparent throughout our collective history. In my rural 
state, Native Americans are the largest minority, comprising nearly 8% 
of the population. Spurred by deep-rooted tensions between Native 
Americans and non-Indians in South Dakota, the late Governor George 
Mickelson had the foresight to declare 1990 a Year of Reconciliation on 
race relations. In his communications with me after this declaration, 
Mickelson wrote, ``* * * our successes reached beyond anyone's 
imagination. I do not suggest we have even scraped the surface of all 
that we have too, but I do suggest that there is a new awareness among 
the citizens of South Dakota for a need to reconcile, a need to learn 
about and understand one another's cultures, and a need to put aside 
old prejudices.''
  At the request of the Governor, South Dakota's tribal leaders, and 
the people of South Dakota, I introduced legislation in the House of 
Representatives in 1992, calling for a National Year of Reconciliation 
to focus on healing the breach between Native Americans and non-indians 
nationwide. That legislation was signed into law by President Bush in 
May of 1992. Native Americans are a significant, culturally unique and 
often insular racial minority. In order to understand the history and 
the future of race relations in the U.S., I have long felt that we must 
understand the position of Native Americans and the scope of this 
country's oldest race relationships. The 1992 National Year of 
Reconciliation legislation was dedicated to the type of dialog that 
President Clinton has asked for in his broader initiative on race.
  Today, the President's Advisory Board on Race Relations has been 
charged with the enormous task of addressing racial tensions and the 
impact of race relations on every American. The first meeting of the 
Race Relations Board held in San Diego, California, indicated that the 
Board's task is indeed daunting, and that a dialog on race is 
potentially divisive. It is that very divisiveness which makes the 
President's initiative so vital. We are all aware that racism and 
prejudice persist in this country. A national dialog must be 
encouraged, and an opportunity for full participation by every American 
of all ethnicities must be provided.
  Senator Boxer's Resolution calls on the Congress to follow the 
President's lead in expanding the dialog and including every voice. If 
we are to move forward as a nation, we must address the forces that 
divide us, not only to recognize these forces honestly for what they 
are, but to strengthen our determination that such forces can be 
overcome. The Senate has been given a unique opportunity today to 
express our full support for the mission of the Race Relations Board, 
and requests the participation of the entire country.
  Mr. President, this nation's racial problems cannot be solved by a 
few people, no matter how well-intentioned. That is why I join Senator 
Boxer today in asking the country to express its dedication to solving 
those problems by observing a National Day of Unity.

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