[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 52 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2233-S2234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA EMANCIPATION DAY

  Mr. CARDIN. When Congress returns to session on Monday, April 16, 
2012, we will recognize an important anniversary and holiday here in 
Washington. That day will be the 150th anniversary of District of 
Columbia Emancipation Day. Nine months before President Abraham Lincoln 
issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1862, the President 
signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. The act 
ordered the release of the 3,100 enslaved persons of African descent 
held in the Nation's capital. District of Columbia residents were 
therefore known as the ``First Freed'' slaves by the Federal government 
during the Civil War.
  In 1865 the Confederacy surrendered and the Civil War ended, and 
later that year the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, 
which states 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.''
  Emancipation Day celebrations were held annually in the District of 
Columbia from 1866 through 1901, and resumed in 2002. In 2005 
Emancipation Day was made an official public holiday in the District of 
Columbia.
  On March 6, 2012, the District of Columbia City Council adopted 
ceremonial resolution 19 207. The resolution finds this anniversary to 
be ``an important, historic occasion for the District of Columbia and 
the nation and serves as an appropriate time to reflect on how far the 
District of Columbia and the United States have progressed since 
institutionalized enslavement of people of African descent. Most 
importantly, the 150th anniversary reminds us to reaffirm our 
commitment to forge a more just and united country that truly reflects 
the ideas of its founders and instills in its people a broad sense of 
duty to be responsible and conscientious stewards of freedom and 
democracy.'' I ask unanimous consent to place a copy of this resolution 
in the Record at the end of my statement.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  In the recent past, we have been blessed to celebrate numerous 
historic achievements for African-Americans in Washington, DC and 
throughout the Nation, including the election of the first African-
American President of the United States, the dedication of the Rev. 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the groundbreaking for the

[[Page S2234]]

National Museum of African American History and Culture. I congratulate 
the District of Columbia government and its residents on this historic 
anniversary.

                               Exhibit 1


  A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION: 19 207--IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF 
                        COLUMBIA, March 6, 2012

       To recognize and preserve the cultural history and heritage 
     of the District of Columbia; to formally recognize the 150th 
     anniversary of District of Columbia Emancipation Day on April 
     16, 2012, as an important day in the history of the District 
     of Columbia and the United States in that, on April 16, 1862, 
     9 months before President Abraham Lincoln signed the 
     Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 to begin to end 
     institutionalized slavery in America, President Lincoln 
     signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act 
     to release the 3,100 enslaved persons of African descent held 
     in the nation's capital, making them the ``first freed'' by 
     the federal government, at a cost of nearly $1 million, in 
     1862 funds, paid to the people who enslaved them; to 
     recognize that, after the Civil War, formerly enslaved people 
     and others commemorated the signing of the 1862 act by 
     parading down Pennsylvania Avenue in festive attire, with 
     music and marching bands, proclaiming and celebrating freedom 
     in the District of Columbia Emancipation Day Parade, which 
     was received by every sitting President of the United States 
     from 1866 to 1901; and to recognize that, on March 7, 2000, 
     the Council of the District of Columbia voted unanimously to 
     establish April 16th as a legal private holiday, the 
     Emancipation Day Parade resumed in the nation's capital in 
     2002, and, on April 5, 2005, District of Columbia 
     Emancipation Day was made a legal public holiday, recognized 
     annually on April 16th.
       Whereas, on April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln 
     signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act 
     (``Emancipation Act'') during the Civil War;
       Whereas, the Emancipation Act provided for immediate 
     emancipation of 3,100 enslaved men, women, and children of 
     African descent held in bondage in the District of Columbia;
       Whereas, the Emancipation Act authorized compensation of up 
     to $300 for each of the 3,100 enslaved men, women, and 
     children held in bondage by those loyal to the Union, 
     voluntary colonization of the formerly enslaved to colonies 
     outside of America, and payments of up to $100 to each 
     formerly enslaved person who agreed to leave America;
       Whereas, the Emancipation Act authorized the federal 
     government to pay approximately $1 million, in 1862 funds, 
     for the freedom of 3,100 enslaved men, women, and children of 
     African descent in the District of Columbia;
       Whereas, the Emancipation Act ended the bondage of 3,100 
     enslaved men, women, and children of African descent in the 
     District of Columbia, and made them the ``first freed'' by 
     the federal government during the Civil War;
       Whereas, nine months after the signing of the Emancipation 
     Act, on January 1, 1863, President Lincoln signed the 
     Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, to begin to end 
     institutionalized enslavement of people of African descent in 
     Confederate states;
       Whereas, on April 9, 1865, the Confederacy surrendered, 
     marking the beginning of the end of the Civil War, and on 
     August 20, 1866, President Andrew Johnson signed a 
     Proclamation--Declaring that Peace, Order, Tranquility and 
     Civil Authority Now Exists in and Throughout the Whole of the 
     United States of America;
       Whereas, in December 1865, the 13th Amendment to the United 
     States Constitution was ratified establishing 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'';
       Whereas, in April 1866, to commemorate the signing of the 
     Emancipation Act, the formerly enslaved people and others, in 
     festive attire, with music and marching bands, started an 
     annual tradition of parading down Pennsylvania Avenue, 
     proclaiming and celebrating the anniversary of their freedom;
       Whereas, the District of Columbia Emancipation Day Parade 
     was received by every sitting President of the United States 
     from 1866 to 1901;
       Whereas, on March 7, 2000, at the Twenty Seventh 
     Legislative Session of the Council of the District of 
     Columbia, Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr. (D-Ward 5) 
     authored and introduced, with Carol Schwartz (R-At Large), 
     the historic District of Columbia Emancipation Day Amendment 
     Act of 2000, effective April 3, 2001 (D.C. Law 13 237; D.C. 
     Official Code Sec. Sec.  1 612.02a, 32 1201), and on that 
     same date moved an emergency version of the legislation that 
     established April 16th as a legal private holiday;
       Whereas, the District of Columbia Emancipation Day 
     Emergency Amendment Act of 2000, which established April 16th 
     as a legal private holiday, was passed unanimously by the 
     Council on March 7, 2000, and signed into law on March 22, 
     2000 by Mayor Anthony A. Williams;
       Whereas, on April 16, 2000, to properly preserve the 
     historical and cultural significance of the District of 
     Columbia Emancipation Day, Councilmember Orange hosted a 
     celebration program in the historic 15th Street Presbyterian 
     Church, founded in 1841 as the First Colored Presbyterian 
     Church;
       Whereas, on April 16, 2002, after a 100-year absence, the 
     District of Columbia, spearheaded by Councilmember Orange 
     with the support of Mayor Anthony Williams, returned the 
     Emancipation Day Parade to Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., along 
     with public activities on Freedom Plaza and evening fireworks 
     (D.C. Official Code Sec.  1 182);
       Whereas, the District of Columbia Emancipation Day Parade 
     and Fund Act of 2004, effective March 17, 2005 (D.C. Law 15 
     240; D.C. Official Code Sec.  1 181 et seq.), established the 
     Emancipation Day Fund to receive and disburse monies for the 
     Emancipation Day Parade and activities associated with the 
     celebration and commemoration of the District of Columbia 
     Emancipation Day;
       Whereas, the District of Columbia Emancipation Day 
     Amendment Act of 2004, effective April 5, 2005 (D.C. Law 15 
     288; D.C. Official Code Sec.  1 612.02(a)(11)), established 
     April 16th as a legal public holiday;
       Whereas, on April 16, 2005, District of Columbia 
     Emancipation Day was observed for the first time as a legal 
     public holiday, for the purpose of pay and leave of employees 
     scheduled to work on that day (D.C. Official Code Sec.  1 
     612.02(c)(2));
       Whereas, April 16, 2012, is the 150th anniversary of 
     District of Columbia Emancipation Day, which symbolizes the 
     triumph of people of African descent over the cruelty of 
     institutionalized slavery and the goodwill of people opposed 
     to the injustice of slavery in a democracy;
       Whereas, the Council of the District of Columbia remembers 
     and pays homage to the millions of people of African descent 
     enslaved for more than 2 centuries in America for their 
     courage and determination;
       Whereas, the Council of the District of Columbia remembers 
     and pays homage to President Abraham Lincoln for his courage 
     and determination to begin to end the inhumanity and 
     injustice of institutionalized slavery by signing the 
     District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act on April 
     16, 1862;
       Whereas, the alignment of the (1) election of the first 
     African-American President of the United States, Barack H. 
     Obama; (2) dedication of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. 
     Memorial; (3) groundbreaking for the National Museum of 
     African American History and Culture; (4) 150th anniversary 
     of the District of Columbia Emancipation Day; and (5) 150th 
     anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 
     2013, are historically important for the District of Columbia 
     and for the United States; and
       Whereas, the 150th anniversary of District of Columbia 
     Emancipation Day is a singularly important occasion that 
     links the historic Presidency of Abraham Lincoln with the 
     equally historic Presidency of Barack H. Obama, as the first 
     President of the United States of African descent.
       Resolved, by the Council of the District of Columbia, That 
     this resolution may be cited as the ``District of Columbia 
     Emancipation Day--150th Anniversary Recognition Resolution of 
     2012''.
       Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia finds the 
     150th anniversary of District of Columbia Emancipation Day is 
     an important, historic occasion for the District of Columbia 
     and the nation and serves as an appropriate time to reflect 
     on how far the District of Columbia and the United States 
     have progressed since institutionalized enslavement of people 
     of African descent. Most importantly, the 150th anniversary 
     reminds us to reaffirm our commitment to forge a more just 
     and united country that truly reflects the ideals of its 
     founders and instills in its people a broad sense of duty to 
     be responsible and conscientious stewards of freedom and 
     democracy.
       Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon 
     the first date of publication in the District of Columbia 
     Register.

                          ____________________