[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 28, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMEMORATING THE UNVEILING OF STONE MARKER ACKNOWLEDGING THE ROLE OF 
 ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICANS IN CONSTRUCTING THE CAPITOL OF THE UNITED 
                                 STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, today we honor enslaved African 
Americans with the unveiling of this great stone and marker once 
quarried by them for The Capitol of the United States. This dedicated 
marker will serve as a reminder to all who enter The Capitol of the 
hands and hearts that built this great place that fosters democracy at 
the highest level.
  I include a poem penned in honor of those enslaved African Americans 
by Albert Caswell.
  The poem is entitled,

                          And From These Hands

     And . . .
     And from these hands . . .
     As now so stands
     A Temple to Liberty so very grand
     One of Freedom, for every child, woman, and man
     From these hands

     For out of their blood, sweat, and tears
     As upon this Hill as now so appears
     Is but a shrine to democracy so very clear
     From these hands

     Whether Captain Pointer, pointing the way
     Guiding those ships,
     As upon them this most sacred marble and stone so lay
     Or at the very top,
     How poignant, Reid so helped Freedom to keep watch
     Now both night and day

     So listen so closely here,
     As to heart speaks so clear
     Of what it took to build this great temple here
     And To Be Free
     Much effort and sacrifice indeed
     And as you enter your heart skips a beat
     Into the great Rotunda at night, as like a prayer
     Can you but not feel their very souls in there?

     All because these fine men, who once so persevered
     Oh how ironic as was this fate
     That this Temple of Freedom,
     Was so once built by slaves!
     From . . . These . . . Hands . . . which gave!
     As their souls are so now etched everywhere
     But look at what they so made

     As generations have so come to pass
     And new hands in this temple have labored steadfast
     All in our nation's struggle to so ask
     The ones, who have so fought against hatred so clear
     Trying to vanquish discrimination year after year

     Can you but not feel Martin's tears?
     And today, if they could all be here
     Would they but not so shed a tear?
     All at what they so see here

     So say a prayer, and all of these
     Who but with their hands and hearts,
     And souls so built this great Temple of Liberty

     The ones who so placed this great stone
     All in that fight
     All in Freedom's home,
     So one day we could all be here
     Free

     So on this day
     This marker of remembrance we now place
     All for what they so taught us,
     So gave
     As we see their great efforts all etched into this stone
     They made

     Like quarried stone, Freedom too does not come so easy!
     Only through such blood, sweat, and tears can this all be!
     In our lives, what have we made
     From . . . these . . . hands . . .

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