[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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