[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 95 (Thursday, June 21, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S4423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 49--TO DIRECT THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE 
   LIBRARY TO ACCEPT A STATUE DEPICTING FREDERICK DOUGLASS FROM THE 
 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND DISPLAY THE STATUE IN A SUITABLE LOCATION IN 
                              THE CAPITOL

  Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and 
Administration:

                            S. Con. Res. 49

       Whereas Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Augustus 
     Washington Bailey in Maryland in 1818, escaped from slavery 
     and became a leading writer, orator, and publisher, and one 
     of the Nation's most influential advocates for abolitionism, 
     women's suffrage, and the equality of all people;
       Whereas the contributions of Frederick Douglass over many 
     decades were crucial to the abolition of slavery, the passage 
     of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution of 
     the United States, the support for women's suffrage, and the 
     advancement of African Americans after the Civil War;
       Whereas after living in New Bedford, Massachusetts, 
     Frederick Douglass resided for 25 years in Rochester, New 
     York, where he published and edited ``The North Star'', the 
     leading African-American newspaper in the United States, and 
     other publications;
       Whereas self-educated, Frederick Douglass wrote several 
     influential books, including his best-selling first 
     autobiography, ``Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, 
     an American Slave'', published in 1845;
       Whereas Frederick Douglass worked tirelessly for the 
     emancipation of African-American slaves, was a pivotal figure 
     in Underground Railroad activities in Western New York, and 
     was an inspiration to enslaved Americans who aspired to 
     freedom;
       Whereas as a well-known speaker in great demand, Frederick 
     Douglass traveled widely, visiting countries such as England 
     and Ireland, to spread the message of emancipation and equal 
     rights;
       Whereas Frederick Douglass was the only African American to 
     attend the Seneca Falls Convention, a women's rights 
     convention held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848;
       Whereas during the Civil War, Frederick Douglass recruited 
     African Americans to volunteer as soldiers for the Union 
     Army, including 2 of his sons who served nobly in the Fifty-
     fourth Massachusetts Regiment;
       Whereas in 1872, Frederick Douglass moved to Washington, 
     D.C., after a fire destroyed his home in Rochester, New York;
       Whereas Frederick Douglass was appointed as a United States 
     Marshal in 1877 and was named Recorder of Deeds for the 
     District of Columbia in 1881;
       Whereas Frederick Douglass became the first African 
     American to receive a vote for nomination as President of the 
     United States at a major party convention for the 1888 
     Republican National Convention;
       Whereas from 1889 to 1891, Frederick Douglass served as 
     minster-resident and consul-general to the Republic of Haiti;
       Whereas Frederick Douglass was recognized around the world 
     as one of the most important political activists in the 
     history of the United States;
       Whereas Frederick Douglass died in 1895 in Washington, D.C. 
     and is buried in Rochester, New York;
       Whereas the statues and busts in the Capitol depicting 
     distinguished Americans number more than 180 and include only 
     2 African Americans;
       Whereas that imbalance fails to show the historically 
     significant contributions of African Americans to the United 
     States;
       Whereas it is time to display in the Capitol the statues 
     and busts of outstanding African Americans whose 
     contributions to the Nation deserve that recognition; and
       Whereas Frederick Douglass's achievements and influence on 
     the history of the United States merit recognition in the 
     Capitol: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That--
       (1) not later than 2 years after the date on which this 
     resolution is agreed to by both Houses of Congress, the Joint 
     Committee on the Library shall accept from the District of 
     Columbia the donation of a statue depicting Frederick 
     Douglass, subject to the terms and conditions that the Joint 
     Committee considers appropriate;
       (2) the Joint Committee shall place the statue in a 
     suitable permanent location in the Capitol; and
       (3) all costs associated with the donation, including 
     transportation of the statue to, and placement in, the 
     Capitol, shall be paid by the District of Columbia.

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss a bill that would 
bring a statue depicting Fredrick Douglass to our Nation's Capitol. The 
life and deeds of this great American need no introduction. He escaped 
the shackles of slavery to become a leading writer, orator, publisher, 
and a leader in the abolitionist struggle towards equality for all. I 
am proud that Fredrick Douglass called Rochester, NY home for 25 years. 
But others claim him as well. He was born into slavery in Maryland, and 
lived as a free adult in Massachusetts and, at the end of his life, in 
Washington, DC. He died here in the Nation's Capitol and is buried in 
upstate New York. During his time in Rochester, he published the 
leading African American newspaper in the country. His influential 
best-selling autobiography, ``Narrative of the Life of Frederick 
Douglass,'' served as a rallying cry for the abolitionist movement and 
helped bring an end to that cruel institution. It is therefore fitting 
that this Fredrick Douglass statue should find its home in the Capitol.
  The addition of this statue of Frederick Douglass to our Capitol is 
long overdue. It is important that the Americans depicted in 
portraiture and in sculpture in the Capitol reflect the true heritage 
of our nation and the people who have helped to make it great. Today 
too few of our artworks depict the richness and diversity of great 
Americans. In fact, of more than 180 statues and busts in the Capitol, 
only two are of African Americans. This resolution is a small step 
toward correcting that imbalance. The acceptance of this Fredrick 
Douglass statue into our Capitol is appropriate both because of who 
Fredrick Douglass was as an American and because of who we all are as 
Americans.

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