[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E9-E10]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 40, THE COMMISSION TO STUDY REPARATION PROPOSALS 
                       FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 6, 2009

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, today I rise to introduce H.R. 40, the 
Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act. 
This 111th Congress marks the 20th anniversary of this bill's 
introduction. Since 1989, I have believed it to be in the best interest 
of our Nation to formally address one of our greatest historical 
injustices.
  As evidenced by recent events, the sin of slavery is one that 
continues to weigh heavily upon us. Following the lead of other 
churches, the Episcopal Church formally apologized for its role in 
slavery on October 4, 2008. Florida became the sixth state to apologize 
for slavery on March 26, 2008, following Virginia, Maryland, North 
Carolina, Alabama and New Jersey. During the internationally renowned 
Sundance Film Festival, Traces of the Trade, a documentary in which 
descendants of the largest U.S. slave trading family confront this 
painful history, screened in January of 2008.
  Just last Congress, the House passed a slavery apology bill on July 
29, 2008, in which the House issued a formal apology for slavery. In 
recognition of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the 
transatlantic slave trade on January 1, 1808, the House and Senate 
passed legislation creating a commemoration commission, which was 
signed into law on February 5, 2008, and is currently awaiting funding. 
Such Federal efforts are significant steps towards proper 
acknowledgment and understanding of slavery and its implications, but 
our responsibilities on this matter are even greater.
  Establishing a commission to study the institution of slavery in the 
United States, as well as its consequences that reach into modern day 
society, is our responsibility. This concept of a commission to address 
historical wrongs is not unprecedented. In fact, in recent Congresses, 
commission bills have been put forward.
  In 1983, a Presidential Commission determined that the internment of 
Japanese Americans during World War II was racist and inhumane, and as 
a result, the 1988 Civil Liberties Act provided redress for those 
injured by the internment. However, the interment of Japanese Latin 
Americans in the United States during World War II was not examined by 
the Commission, resulting in legislation calling for a commission to 
examine this oversight. Legislation establishing a commission to review 
the injustices suffered by European Americans, European Latin 
Americans, and Jewish refugees during World War II has also been 
proposed.

[[Page E10]]

  H.R. 40 is no different than these other commission bills. H.R. 40 
establishes a commission to examine the institution of slavery and its 
legacy, like racial disparities in education, housing, and healthcare. 
Following this examination, the commission would make recommend 
appropriate remedies to Congress, and as I have indicated before, 
remedies does not equate to monetary compensation.
  In the 110th Congress, I convened the first Congressional hearing on 
H.R. 40. With witnesses that included Professor Charles Ogletree, 
Episcopal Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, and Detroit City Councilwoman JoAnn 
Watson, we began a formal dialogue on the legacy of the transatlantic 
slave trade. This Congress, I look forward to continuing this 
conversation so that our Nation can better understand this part of our 
history.
  Attempts to eradicate today's racial discrimination and disparities 
will be successful when we understand the past's racial injustices and 
inequities. A commission can take us into this dark past and bring us 
into a brighter future. As in years past, I welcome open and 
constructive discourse on H.R. 40 and this commission in the 111th 
Congress.

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