[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 28, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S2473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 407--RECOGNIZING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN SPIRITUAL AS A 
                           NATIONAL TREASURE

  Mr. MENENDEZ submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary

                              S. Res. 407

       Whereas, since slavery was introduced into the European 
     colonies in 1619, enslaved Africans remained in bondage until 
     the United States ratified the 13th amendment to the 
     Constitution in 1865;
       Whereas, during that period of the history of the United 
     States, the first expression of that unique American music 
     was created by enslaved African Americans who--
       (1) used their knowledge of the English language and the 
     Christian religious faith, as it had been taught to them in 
     the New World; and
       (2) stealthily wove within the music their experience of 
     coping with human servitude and their strong desire to be 
     free;
       Whereas, as a method of survival, enslaved African 
     Americans who were forbidden to speak their native languages, 
     play musical instruments they had used in Africa, or practice 
     their traditional religious beliefs, relied on their strong 
     African oral tradition of songs, stories, proverbs, and 
     historical accounts to create this original music, now known 
     as spirituals;
       Whereas Calvin Earl, a noted performer and educator on 
     African American spirituals, remarked that the Christian 
     lyrics became a metaphor for freedom from slavery, a secret 
     way for slaves to ``communicate with each other, teach their 
     children, record their history, and heal their pain.'';
       Whereas the New Jersey Historical Commission found that 
     ``some of those daring and artful runaway slaves who entered 
     New Jersey by way of the Underground Railroad no doubt sang 
     the words of old Negro spirituals like `Steal Away' before 
     embarking on their perilous journey north.'';
       Whereas African American spirituals spread all over the 
     United States, and the songs we know of today may only 
     represent a small portion of the total number of spirituals 
     that once existed;
       Whereas Frederick Douglass, a fugitive slave who would 
     become one of the leading abolitionists of the United States, 
     remarked that the spirituals ``told a tale of woe which was 
     then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were 
     tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and 
     complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish. 
     Every tone was a testimony against slavery and a prayer to 
     God for deliverance from chains. . . .''; and
       Whereas the American Folklife Preservation Act (Public Law 
     105-275; 20 U.S.C. 2101 note) finds that ``the diversity 
     inherent in American folklife has contributed greatly to the 
     cultural richness of the nation and has fostered a sense of 
     individuality and identity among the American people.'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes that African American spirituals are a 
     poignant and powerful genre of music that have become one of 
     the most significant segments of American music in existence;
       (2) expresses the deepest gratitude, recognition, and honor 
     to the former enslaved Africans in the United States for 
     their gifts to our Nation, including their original music and 
     oral history; and
       (3) requests that the President issue a proclamation that 
     reflects on the important contribution of African American 
     spirituals to American history, and naming the African 
     American spiritual a national treasure.

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution 
honoring the African American Spiritual as a national treasure. This 
important piece of legislation recognizes that the African American 
spiritual is a poignant and powerful genre of American music that 
contributes to the cultural richness of our country.
  I am very proud to sponsor this resolution and grateful to the 
individuals who helped make this landmark occasion possible. In 
particular, I would like to thank Calvin Earl, a New Jersey native, who 
is a noted performer and educator on African American spirituals for 
his vision and dedication in helping make this resolution a reality. I 
also would like to thank the staff at the American Folklife Center in 
the Library of Congress for their endless expertise and insight.

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