[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 45 (Friday, April 2, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE SERVITUDE AND EMANCIPATION ARCHIVAL RESEARCH 
                  CLEARING HOUSE (SEARCH) ACT OF 2004

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                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 2, 2004

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Servitude and 
Emancipation Archival Research Clearing House (SEARCH) Act of 2004, 
companion legislation to S. 1292 sponsored by Senator Landrieu. This 
bill would authorize the creation of a national database of servitude 
and emancipation records within the National Archives.
  For most Americans, researching their genealogical history involves 
searching through municipal birth, death, and marriage records--most of 
which have been properly archived as public historical documents. 
However, African Americans in the United States face a unique challenge 
when conducting genealogical research.
  Current records of emancipation and slavery are frequently 
inaccessible, poorly catalogued, and inadequately preserved from decay. 
Instead of looking up wills, land deeds, birth and death certificates, 
and other traditional genealogical research documents, African 
Americans must often try to identify the name of former slave owners, 
hoping that the owners kept records of pertinent information such as 
births and deaths.
  Although some states and localities have undertaken efforts to 
collect these documents with varying degrees of success, there is no 
national effort to preserve these pieces of public and personal history 
or to make them readily and easily accessible to all Americans. While 
entities like Howard University and the Schomburg Center for Research 
in Black Culture Library have extensive African American archives, the 
SEARCH Act would create a centralized database for these historic 
records. This database would be administered by the Archivist of the 
United States as part of the National Archives.
  Finally, the SEARCH Act would also authorize funding for States, 
colleges, and universities, to preserve, catalogue, as well as index 
servitude and emancipation records locally. It would make available up 
to $5 million for the National Historical Publications and Records 
Commission to establish and maintain the national database, as well as 
$5 million in grants for States and academic institutions to conserve 
local records of servitude and emancipation.
  I believe that this legislation will be a very important step in 
resurrecting the rich history of African Americans and the vital role 
that they played in building America. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor 
the SEARCH Act as not only a means by which their constituents can 
trace their lineage, but also as a means by which we can preserve 
historically comprehensive and accurate information for generations to 
come.

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