[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 148 (Tuesday, October 2, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11103-H11107]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1300
COMMISSION ON THE ABOLITION OF THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE ACT
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3432) to establish the 200th Anniversary Commemoration Commission
of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3432
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Commission on the Abolition
of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) On March 2, 1807, President Thomas Jefferson signed
into law a bill approved by the Congress ``An Act to prohibit
the importation of slaves into any port or place within the
jurisdiction of the United States'' (hereinafter in this Act
referred to as the ``1808 Transatlantic Slave Trade Act'')
and made it unlawful ``to import or bring into the United
States or territories thereof from any foreign kingdom, place
or country, any negro, mulatto, or person of colour, with
intent to hold, sell, or dispose of such. . .as a slave, or
to be held to service or labour''.
(2) Article I, Section 9 of the United States Constitution
clearly spelled out that the international slave trade could
not be banned before 1808, and it is only on January 1, 1808,
that the 1808 Transatlantic Slave Trade Act went into effect.
(3) An Act entitled ``An Act to continue in force `An act
to protect the commerce of the United States, and punish the
crime of piracy,' and also to make further provisions for
punishing the crime of piracy'', enacted May 15, 1820, made
it unlawful for any citizen of the United States to engage
``in the slave trade, or . . ., being of the crew or ship's
company of any foreign ship . . ., seize any negro or mulatto
. . . with the intent to make . . . a slave . . . or forcibly
bring . . . on board any such ship . . . .''.
(4) The transatlantic slave trade entailed the kidnapping,
purchase, and commercial export of Africans, mostly from West
and Central Africa, to the European colonies and new nations
in the Americas, including the United States, where they were
enslaved in forced labor between the 15th and mid-19th
centuries.
[[Page H11104]]
(5) The term ``Middle Passage'' refers to the horrific part
of the transatlantic slave trade when millions of Africans
were chained together and stowed by the hundreds in
overcrowded ships where they were forced into small spaces
for months without relief as they were transported across the
Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.
(6) During the Middle Passage, enslaved Africans resisted
their enslavement through non-violent and violent means,
including hunger strikes, suicide, and shipboard revolts, the
most historically-recognized events taking place on board the
Don Carlos in 1732 and on board the Amistad in 1839.
(7) Scholars estimate that, at a minimum, between
10,000,000 and 15,000,000 Africans survived the Middle
Passage, were imported as chattel through customs houses and
ports across the Americas, and were sold into slavery.
(8) The thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States recognizes that ``Neither slavery nor
involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime
whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist
within the United States, or any place subject to their
jurisdiction.''.
(9) The slave trade and the legacy of slavery continue to
have a profound impact on social and economic disparity,
hatred, bias, racism, and discrimination, and continue to
affect people in the Americas, particularly those of African
descent.
(10) In 2007, the British Parliament marked the 200th
anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in the former
British Empire with plans launched by the Department for
Education and Skills which provided joint funding of
910,000 ($1,800,000) for the Understanding
Slavery Initiative, and the Heritage Lottery Fund announced
awards of over 20,000,000 ($40,000,000) for
projects to commemorate the anniversary.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish the
Commission on the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
to--
(1) ensure a suitable national observance of the
bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of the
transatlantic slave trade by sponsoring and supporting
commemorative programs;
(2) cooperate with and assist programs and activities
throughout the United States in observance of the
bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of the
transatlantic slave trade;
(3) assist in ensuring that the observations of the
bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of the
transatlantic slave trade are inclusive and appropriately
recognize the experiences of all people during this period in
history;
(4) support and facilitate international involvement in
observances of the bicentennial anniversary of the abolition
of the transatlantic slave trade; and
(5) study the impact of the transatlantic slave trade on
the United States and the Americas.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.
There is established a commission to be known as the
``Commission on the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave
Trade'' (referred to in this Act as the ``Commission'').
SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP, DUTIES, AND RELATED MATTERS.
(a) Membership.--
(1) In general.--
(A) The Commission shall be composed of 9 members, of
whom--
(i) 3 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives;
(ii) 2 shall be appointed by the majority leader of the
Senate;
(iii) 2 shall be appointed by the minority leader of the
House of Representatives; and
(iv) 2 shall be appointed by the minority leader of the
Senate.
(B) Each appointing authority described in subparagraph (A)
shall appoint the initial members of the Commission not later
than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Qualifications.--Members of the Commission shall be
individuals with demonstrated expertise or experience in the
study and program facilitation on the transatlantic slave
trade and the institution of slavery as it relates to the
United States and the Americas.
(3) Term; vacancies.--
(A) Term.--A member of the Commission shall be appointed
for the life of the Commission.
(B) Vacancies.--
(i) In general.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be
filled in the same manner in which the original appointment
was made.
(ii) Partial term.--A member appointed to fill a vacancy on
the Commission shall serve for the remainder of the term for
which the predecessor of the member was appointed.
(4) Meetings.--
(A) In general.--The Commission shall meet--
(i) as many times as necessary; or
(ii) at the call of the Chairperson or the majority of the
members of the Commission.
(B) Initial meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date
on which all members of the Commission have been appointed,
the Commission shall hold its initial meeting.
(C) Notice of meetings.--All Commission members shall be
given reasonable advance notice of all Commission meetings.
(D) Appointment of chairperson and executive director.--Not
later than 60 days after the date on which all members of the
Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall--
(i) designate 1 of the members as Chairperson; and
(ii) select an executive director as described under
subsection (d)(2).
(5) Voting.--
(A) In general.--The Commission shall act only on an
affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the
Commission.
(B) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission,
which includes at least 1 member appointed pursuant to clause
(iii) or (iv) of paragraph (1)(A), shall constitute a quorum
for conducting business but fewer members may meet or hold
hearings.
(b) Duties.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall--
(A) plan, develop, and execute programs and activities
appropriate to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of
the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade;
(B) facilitate commemoration-related activities throughout
the United States;
(C) encourage civic, historical, educational, religious,
economic, and other organizations, as well as State and local
governments, throughout the United States to organize and
participate in anniversary activities to expand the
understanding and appreciation of the significance of the
transatlantic slave trade and the institution of slavery,
particularly as it relates to the United States;
(D) coordinate and facilitate for the public scholarly
research on, publication about, and interpretation of, the
transatlantic slave trade and the institution of slavery,
particularly as it relates to the United States;
(E) assist in the development of appropriate programs and
facilities to ensure that the bicentennial anniversary of the
abolition of the transatlantic slave trade provides a lasting
legacy and long-term public benefit;
(F) support and facilitate marketing efforts for the
issuance of a commemorative coin, postage stamp, and related
activities for observances;
(G) facilitate the convening of a joint meeting or joint
session of the Congress for ceremonies and activities
relating to the transatlantic slave trade and the institution
of slavery, particularly as it relates to the United States;
(H) promote the sponsorship of conferences, exhibitions, or
public meetings concerning the transatlantic slave trade and
the institution of slavery, particularly as it relates to the
United States;
(I) coordinate and facilitate the sponsorship of high
school and collegiate essay contests concerning the
transatlantic slave trade and the institution of slavery,
particularly as it relates to the United States; and
(J) examine reports of modern-day slavery and human
trafficking to raise the public's awareness of these matters
and ensure such atrocities do not go unnoticed by the people
of the United States.
(2) Initial report.--Not later than March 31, 2009, the
Commission shall submit to the Congress a report containing a
summary of the activities of the Commission for 2008.
(c) Powers of the Commission.--The Commission may--
(1) accept donations and gift items related to the
transatlantic slave trade, the institution of slavery, and
the significance of slavery to the history of the United
States;
(2) appoint such advisory committees as the Commission
determines necessary to carry out this Act;
(3) authorize any member or employee of the Commission to
take any action that the Commission is authorized to take
under this Act;
(4) procure supplies, services, and property, and make or
enter into contracts, leases, or other legal agreements, to
carry out this Act (except that any contracts, leases, or
other legal agreements made or entered into by the Commission
shall not extend beyond the date of the termination of the
Commission); and
(5) use the United States mails in the same manner and
under the same conditions as other Federal agencies.
(d) Personnel Matters.--
(1) Compensation of members of the commission.--
(A) Basic pay.--Members of the Commission shall not receive
compensation for the performance of their duties on behalf of
the Commission.
(B) Travel expenses.--Upon approval of the Chairperson, a
member of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses,
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates
authorized for an employee of an agency under subchapter I of
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from
their homes or regular place of business in the performance
of their duties on behalf of the Commission.
(2) Staff.--
(A) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall,
without regard to the civil service laws (including
regulations), appoint and terminate an executive director and
such other additional personnel as are necessary to enable
the Commission to perform its duties.
(B) Executive director.--
(i) Qualifications.--The person appointed executive
director shall have demonstrated expertise or experience in
the study and program facilitation on the transatlantic slave
trade and the institution of slavery, particularly as it
relates to the United States.
[[Page H11105]]
(ii) Confirmation.--The employment of an executive director
shall be subject to confirmation by the members of the
Commission.
(C) Compensation.--The Chairperson of the Commission may
fix the compensation of the executive director and other
personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and
subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code,
relating to classification of positions and General Schedule
pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the executive
director and other personnel may not exceed the rate payable
for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of
such title.
(D) Volunteer and uncompensated services.--Notwithstanding
section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission
may accept and use voluntary and uncompensated services as
the Commission determines necessary.
(e) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--
The Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and
intermittent services in accordance with section 3109(b) of
title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do
not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic
pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under
section 5316 of that title.
(f) Non-Applicability of FACA.--Section 14(b) of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not
apply to the Commission.
SEC. 5. TERMINATION.
(a) Date of Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on
December 31, 2009.
(b) Final Report.--Upon termination, the Commission shall
submit to the Congress a report containing--
(1) a detailed statement of the activities of the
Commission; and
(2) a final accounting of the funds received and expended
by the Commission.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Payne) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill and
yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank the chairman of the
committee, Mr. Lantos, for moving this bill through expeditiously, and
also the cooperation of our friend, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms.
Ros-Lehtinen), for assisting in the moving of this bill through our
committee.
Let me say that January 1, 2008, will mark the 200th anniversary of
the Act to Prohibit the Importation of Slaves, which effectively ended
the legal transatlantic slave trade. I am proud to be the sponsor of
H.R. 3432. The Bicentennial Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Commemoration Commission Act of 2007, is the total title, to honor the
victims and survivors of the transatlantic slave trade.
The bill before us establishes a commission to cultivate and preserve
the memory of a grave injustice in American history, the transatlantic
slave trade, and to mark the trade's conclusion at the hands of our
President at that time, Thomas Jefferson.
In the early years of the Republic, the transatlantic slave trade
constituted a thriving economic vein of the United States. By 1807,
millions of Africans had been captured and transported to the Americas
on notorious slave vessels. We may recall ``Roots.'' The 30th
anniversary of that is being lived out now, which so vividly showed
that era. As a matter of fact, it was the most watched series on
television, even today.
Many individuals perished as a result of torture, including rape,
malnutrition and disease. Those who survived faced miserable prospects
of a lifetime of bondage. Few Americans are aware that captured slaves
resisted their enslavement until the bitter end.
During the Middle Passage, enslaved Africans defied their slave
masters through nonviolent and violent means, including hunger strikes,
suicide, and shipboard revolts, the most historically recognized events
taking place on board the Don Carlos in 1732 and on board the Amistad
in 1839, that famous case that was defended by John Quincy Adams, who
argued and won the case and had the enslaved people released in
Connecticut.
On March 3, 1807, President Thomas Jefferson signed into law the
Transatlantic Slave Trade Act, which prohibited the importation of
slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United
States. The bill was nothing short of revolutionary. It single-handedly
outlawed the longstanding and brutal trade of transporting Africans to
the United States.
In commemoration of President Jefferson's act and to explore the
impact of the slave trade on the United States, we will move this
legislation which is drafted that will establish the 200th Anniversary
Commemoration Commission.
This important body will be tasked with the mandate to plan, develop
and execute programs and activities appropriate to commemorate the
200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade,
which we will tend to start talking about ``slave trade'' as ``enslaved
people,'' which is a new definition that is starting to be used. Slaves
are now considered people who were enslaved people.
The mission is timely, and the subject is critical. The United States
is a primary voice on trafficking issues today, and we are aware also
that the principal advocate for human rights and freedom around the
world that we stand so strongly behind. Our Nation's willingness to
confront its past and calmly assess the impact of enslaved people on
the United States strengthens our ability to serve as an advocate on
the international stage. I strongly urge the support of this
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as the poet Maya Angelo once said, ``History, despite
its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need
not be lived again.'' I find these words fitting as we consider H.R.
3432 today.
For over 200 years, countless Africans died in brutal conditions
during the so-called Middle Passage, the overseas voyage of their lives
to enslavement in America. The United States formally prohibited the
importation of slaves nearly 200 years ago, although the institution of
slavery persisted in this country for another 50 years afterwards.
This bill will establish a commission to ensure that this important
anniversary is appropriately commemorated within the United States and
also abroad. In essence, the bill seeks to ensure that all Americans,
no matter their age, race, gender, culture, or even religion, are
afforded the opportunity to learn more about the institution of slavery
and its vestiges so that we may understand this tragic aspect of
history.
While we cannot unlive our past, it is hoped that this commission
will promote greater tolerance and understanding among all Americans,
while shedding light on the fact that slavery still exists in the
modern world. Yes, even 200 years after the transatlantic slave trade
was abolished, slavery still goes on. It exists through human
trafficking and wherever any group of people is systematically robbed
of its fundamental human rights.
So I stand in support of H.R. 3432, in the hopes that this commission
will help Americans confront the past with honesty, while committing
themselves to the eradication of modern-day slavery in all of its
forms, no matter where it may be found.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, let me once again thank all of those
responsible for moving this bill through. As you recall, it was in 1807
that slavery was abolished in England through the work of Mr.
Wilberforce, who for 20 years argued against slavery in the British
Parliament. A resolution was passed this year by Mr. Pitts commending
the abolition of slavery in Great Britain and commending Mr.
Wilberforce for his work as a great abolitionist. So we are pleased
that this will give us time to commemorate, to investigate, to remember
those who had this difficult period of time.
As has been indicated, even though transatlantic slavery was
abolished in
[[Page H11106]]
1807, slavery continued. As a matter of fact, even in the North, and
our State has found records that even after the Emancipation
Proclamation and as late as 1866, the last slave was freed in New
Jersey. Many people are unaware of the fact that there was slavery in
New Jersey, which abolished slavery, but you had to be 25 as a man and
21 as a woman, and any children born of a union had to remain in
slavery. Therefore, people remained in slavery up through after the
Emancipation Proclamation, which only freed slaves in the Confederacy.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman
from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the distinguished
chairman of the committee. I rise enthusiastically to support the
present legislation on the floor, because we have had a rocky time, Mr.
Speaker, over the last couple of months, and we have raised in the
current light that race and history are not relevant.
I am grateful that the most powerful lawmaking body in the world has
now come to the floor to acknowledge the slave trade and all of the
ramifications, from its beginning to its ending, because we have been
told over the last couple of months that there is no concern to a young
African American male still being incarcerated in the State of Georgia
and that race is not an issue. We have been told that there is no
problem to the existence of the Jena Six, and that race is not an
issue. Likewise, we have been told that inequity in our school systems
that impact heavily on African American and other minorities is not an
issue of race, and many times it is. So to be able to rise to debate
this question of recognizing the impact of slavery and the slave trade
and its relationship to our international allies and their history with
it is extremely important.
Might I, in my comments, as I support the underlying bill, thank the
chairman for his leadership. I thank Congresswoman Barbara Lee. I
particularly thank the chairman for his leadership on remuneration.
On the previous bill, very briefly, I would like to acknowledge my
support for the remuneration of those families that suffered in the
tragedy of the African Embassies, who did not get a response, did not
get coverage, did not get a response from the Federal Government for 9
years after this tragic incident where they lost their loved ones.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the full committee and other
members of the full Committee on Foreign Affairs for understanding that
the moneys had to be raised to compensate for the grief and pain that
these particular family members now hold dear to their heart. That
legislation was long in coming, and it is crucial that we did it under
this Democratic majority Congress. We pressed the administration to
sign it.
Then I would finally like to comment, Mr. Speaker, that my delay was
because we had a hearing, at the same time as this legislation, on
Ethiopia. Having just come back from Ethiopia, I know how hard Mr.
Payne has toiled. I, frankly, am concerned on the recent legislation
that I know has just passed that we would have an indictment of a
chairperson who has shown nothing but love and affection for the
continent of Africa.
I said in my remarks that we need to be big boys and girls. The world
arena of diplomacy is a tough business, and we need to be able to have
tough love. We need to be able to love the people of Ethiopia and its
opportunities, but we likewise need to know that we need to be able to
promote human rights, we need to be able to have an independent
judiciary, we need to be able to have a move toward democratization and
a recognition of the brilliance of Prime Minister Meles.
But we have to address the concerns of the people, and I am grateful
that amendments that I offered in that legislation now on the floor
were accepted, that we have greater exchange between U.S. and Ethiopian
judiciary, that we begin to look at changing property ownership from
Ethiopia to the people. I saw that firsthand in Ethiopia. And in the
discussion we had in the committee, it is important that we look at the
Somalia-Ethiopian border and the people caught up in that crisis and
begin to fight for humanitarian rights.
That is crucial. I believe that this legislation that passed just
prior to my coming to the floor, I believe the legislation on the
terrorist victims whose families were lost in the African Embassies 9
years ago, and this legislation, begins to address nationally and
internationally that America understands that this Congress will not
abnegate its responsibility to, one, affirm its commitment to the
continent of Africa, but also to understand the questions of race, and
that race should not be negated for the crisis that we face.
Mr. Chairman, let me thank you for your leadership and also for the
acceptance of my amendments regarding the Ethiopian bill. I still, in
the name of Mickey Leland, have a love and affection for Ethiopia and
will continue to work with a degree of tough love with Ethiopia. I hope
that the message that came forward, that you can't be harsh, you have
to handle it with kid gloves, is very tricky and that it does not keep
us from fighting for those incarcerated, fighting for those who are in
need of humanitarian needs, and affirming the value of Ethiopia as it
fights with us in the war against terror, and in Sudan. Why should we
be afraid to give tough love? It will help the people of Ethiopia. That
is what we are looking for.
Ethiopian Americans, bring us your roadmap so that we can work
together and make not only the United States the best country in the
world, but work with Ethiopia as it aspires to be a shining star of
democracy on the continent.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3432, the 200th
Anniversary Commemoration Commission of the Abolition of the
Transatlantic Slave Trade of 2007, which I am proud, along with over 90
of my colleagues, to cosponsor. This legislation recognizes the 200th
anniversary of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and it establishes the
rubric from which the Commission, to be known as the ``Transatlantic
Slave Trade 200th Anniversary Commission,'' shall be formed.
I would like to thank my distinguished colleague, Congressman Payne,
for introducing this important legislation, as well as the Chairman of
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congressman Lantos, for his
leadership on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, though 200 years have passed since the abolition of the
Transatlantic Slave Trade, the legacy of slavery continues to have a
profound impact on American society. The legacy of social and economic
disparity lives on, as do hatred, bias, and discrimination. Despite two
centuries of progress, the African American community continues to feel
the impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and subsequent years of
racism and persecution.
While our Nation has pursued the ideals of liberty and equality for
all, there still remain steps that must be taken in order to ensure
that even such a dark piece of our Nation's history be preserved and
its conclusion at the hand of President Thomas Jefferson be celebrated.
Mr. Speaker, the bill before us establishes a commission to cultivate
and preserve the memory of a grave injustice in American history, we
must recognize and in some small way try to rectify our past. In the
early years of the Republic, the transatlantic slave trade constituted
a thriving economic vein of the United States. By 1807, millions of
Africans had been captured and transported to the Americas, many
perishing as the result of torture, rape, malnutrition, and disease. It
was not until March of 1807 that President Thomas Jefferson signed into
law ``An Act to prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or
place within the jurisdiction of the United States,'' a Congressionally
approved bill intended to end the heinous practice of the transatlantic
slave trade.
It is in commemoration of President Jefferson's revolutionary act,
and to explore further the impacts of the slave trade on our Nation
that H.R. 3432 establishes the 200th Anniversary Commemoration
Commission. This import commission will be composed of 11
congressionally appointed members charged with the task of planning,
developing, and executing programs and activities appropriate to
commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic
slave trade.
January 1, 2008 will mark the 200th anniversary of the ``Act to
Prohibit the Importation of Slaves.'' The United States today serves as
a moral compass for the rest of the world and as such we must provide a
voice for human trafficking issues. Our willingness to confront our
Nation's past and to address the impacts of the slave trade and its
legacy on the Unites States strengthens our undeterred commitment to
serving as an advocate for human rights and freedom in the
international community.
I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important
legislation.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3432 which
establishes the
[[Page H11107]]
200th Anniversary Commission of the Abolition of the Transatlantic
Slave Trade. It was 200 years ago in 1807, when first the British
Parliament and then the U.S. Congress abolished the then 300 year old
practice of forcibly removing Africans from their homes along the
Western coast of that continent to provide free labor for the empires
of Europe in the New World.
The triangular trade would link the peoples of Africa, Europe and the
Americas in a chain of blood, power, money, imperialism and despair and
set the tone for our modern day relationships as none of our ancestors
were left untouched by its sheer brutality.
By the time it was all over, the world's first massive attempt at
globalization, would profoundly change it from corner to corner and
would leave behind many of the social reverberations of race, class and
poverty that we as a world community struggle with today.
As we recognize this momentous anniversary and the way it has shaped
the lives of African descendants in the Western Hemisphere, and as one
of those descendants I want to take the opportunity to call attention
to the end of enslavement of Africans in my own district, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, which was then the Danish West Indies. The abolition of
the slave trade did not immediately end slavery. It was not until 1848
in response to an uprising by enslaved Africans demanding emancipation
that slavery was ended there. It is a day which we celebrate on July
3rd of every year, and this year will be the 160th Anniversary of that
important event.
As we approach that anniversary it is relevant to note the dialogue
that the people of the Virgin Islands and the people of Denmark have
embarked upon regarding reparations--not in terms of monetary
compensation, but in education, restoration and reconciliation efforts
that can finally close that sad chapter of our history and our
relationship. While discussions have not taken place at a government to
government level, we anticipate that these will begin in the near
future and we look forward to the opportunities this could make
available to both sides.
Mr. Speaker, returning to the resolution before us, it is important
that we mark the end of this dark period in world history and human
relations and that we study and commemorate the events that led up to
the beginning, the middle and the end of slavery. It is important that
the civic, historical, educational, religious and economic activities
planned on the state and national levels be used for the American
people to look back and seek understanding of that time and the legacy
that it has left behind.
As we commemorate with speeches and conferences and exhibitions, let
us remember that there is still human trafficking taking place today
and that we should be as adamant and as vigilant as our forbears of 200
years ago, in seeing to its end.
{time} 1315
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3432, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to establish the
Commission on the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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