[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 4, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE ABOLITION OF THE TRANSATLANTIC 
                              SLAVE TRADE

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                           HON. CHAKA FATTAH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 4, 2008

  Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 200th 
anniversary of U.S. abolition of the slave trade, which marked a 
historic turning point in our Nation's history.
  On March 2, 1807, President Thomas Jefferson signed a bill, which 
became effective January 1, 1808, abolishing the transatlantic slave 
trade. The issue of slavery had long been a contentious issue that 
divided Americans, with those in favor of abolition and those against 
struggling to reach a compromise. The abolition of the transatlantic 
slave trade was one step in the quest to end slavery, but the path to 
full social, political, and economic equality for African Americans 
would be a long upward battle that would not be reached for over 100 
years.
  While our forefather's move to formally end the U.S. participation in 
the transatlantic slave trade was a giant leap toward racial equality, 
the ``color line,'' as W.E.B. Dubois has called it, still divides 
America. Even though it has been over a hundred years since the 
Emancipation Proclamation, the remnants of slavery still exist in the 
black community, and in America as a whole.
  African Americans in the underclass of our cities and the rural areas 
of the South continue to battle challenges including a dearth of 
affordable housing, unemployment and a lack of educational attainment. 
These problems continue to shake the foundations of the black 
community. African American men and women still bring home smaller 
paychecks than their white counterparts, African American children 
still suffer from a lack of qualified teachers and educational 
resources when compared with their privileged white peers and African 
American neighborhoods are still under siege from street violence and 
urban crowding. These problems are not only representative of the 
pervasive social and economic injustice between the races; these 
problems are tearing at the threads of the American social fabric.
  Despite these challenges, African Americans have made considerable 
progress. With advancements such as the 14th and 15th Amendments, the 
Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts, African Americans began to 
participate more fully in American life. Since the hard-fought 
accomplishments of the 20th century, African Americans are now 
participating in the political, economic, and cultural life of America 
more than ever before. The commemoration of the bicentennial of the 
U.S. abolition of the slave trade will allow us to take time to reflect 
on how far America has come in reaching its dream of racial equality, 
but it should also serve as a reminder that as a nation we still have 
work to do before we can finally erase the color line that divides us.

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