[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 24, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7353-H7361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             EMANCIPATION NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL STUDY ACT

  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 434) to designate the Emancipation National Historic 
Trail, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows

                                H.R. 434

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Emancipation National 
     Historic Trail Study Act''.

     SEC. 2. EMANCIPATION NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL STUDY.

       Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 
     1244(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(47) Emancipation national historic trail.--The 
     Emancipation National Historic Trail, extending approximately 
     51 miles from the Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in 
     Galveston, Texas, along Texas State Highway 3 and Interstate 
     Highway 45 North, to Freedmen's Town, then to Independence 
     Heights and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas, following 
     the migration route taken by newly freed slaves and other 
     persons of African descent from the major 19th century 
     seaport town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of 
     Freedmen's Town, located in the 4th Ward of Houston, 
     Texas.''.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Guam (Mr. San Nicolas) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 434, introduced by Representative Jackson Lee of 
Texas, celebrates the freedom of the last American slaves by 
authorizing the study of an approximately 51-mile route for inclusion 
as a national historic trail in the National Trails System. The study 
will examine the suitability of designating the Emancipation National 
Historic Trail from Galveston to Freedmen's Town in Houston.
  Nearly 2\1/2\ years after President Lincoln's Emancipation 
Proclamation, United States General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, 
Texas, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves.
  Upon gaining their freedom, many of the 250,000 newly freed slaves 
traversed the route from Galveston to Freedmen's Town in Houston, 
spreading the news to neighboring communities. This bill is a fitting 
tribute that honors the historic journey and lasting legacy of the last 
American slaves.
  I want to thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for 
championing this important legislation and for her hard work moving 
this bill through the legislative process.
  I strongly support passing this bill.
  I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas 
(Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for 
yielding, and I thank him for his leadership and the leadership of 
Chairman Grijalva, for the full committee, and, certainly, the ranking 
member for his courtesies.
  I thank the manager tonight, a friend from Utah, for their kindness 
in yielding to me. This is an emotional moment for me and, as well, for 
many in my constituency, and I am delighted to be able to rise to give 
strong support to H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic Trail 
Study Act.
  I thank all of the Members, as I have indicated, and also thank 
Congresswoman Haaland, chair of the Natural Resources Committee's 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, for holding 
the hearing that allowed the committee to learn of the strong support 
enjoyed by H.R. 434 and the hard work of dedicated historic 
preservationists to preserve the rich history of former slaves.
  I also thank Naomi Mitchell Carrier of Houston, Texas, for her 
stalwart efforts to share the stories of newly freed slaves who settled 
in Freedmen's Town, a section of Houston, to begin their lives as free 
persons during the end of the Civil War. I want to thank Ms. Carrier as 
an educator, historian, and author with expertise in African American 
music, Texas history, and heritage tourism.
  I also thank Ms. Eileen Lawal for her April 2019 oral testimony 
before the Natural Resources Committee in an amazing, passionate 
expression of how vital this trail will be. Ms. Lawal is the president 
Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy, whose mission is to protect and 
preserve the history of Freedmen's Town.
  I also thank the Mayor of the city of Houston, Sylvester Turner; 
Commissioner Rodney Ellis; the mayor of the city of Galveston; my 
colleague, my original cosponsor, Congressman Weber, who represents the 
Galveston area.
  The work of H.R. 434 will result in only the second trail in the 
United States that chronicles the experience of African Americans.
  I am hoping that this will move swiftly through the United States 
House, then to the United States Senate, and then is signed by the 
President of the United States.
  Currently, the National Park Service only has one national historic 
trail which centers on the African American experience. It is a Selma 
to Montgomery National Historic Trail which covers a 54-mile path 
between Selma and Montgomery.
  But as slaves lived in this land from 1619 to 1865 as slaves, a 250-
year history, to think only one trail would commemorate that historic 
moment--although a moment in history that all of us are saddened by--it 
is important to capture the bravery, the courage, the strength of those 
families who managed to stay together.
  The establishment of the Emancipation National Historic Trail will be 
the second trail for which the National Park Services would have 
responsibility and, again, would tell the wonderful story for future 
generations of the rich history of this Nation and the role that 
African Americans played in the economic, political, religious, 
cultural, and governmental efforts of this Nation. It ties into the 
work that we are continuing to do.
  The Emancipation National Historic Trail Study Act would pave the way 
to working to establish an important story. It will go 51 miles from 
the historic Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, 
along Highway 3 and Interstate 45, all the way up to Freedmen's Town 
and Emancipation Park and Independence Heights, which was the first 
city organized by African Americans here in the Southwest region.
  H.R. 434 requires that we study the post-Civil War history of newly 
freed slaves in a major slave-holding State following the largest 
military campaign waged on domestic soil in the history of the United 
States.
  It is important to take note of the fact that those of us west of the 
Mississippi did not know that Abraham

[[Page H7354]]

Lincoln had freed the slaves until 1865. Captain Granger came to the 
shores and said to us in 1865, those of our ancestors, that they had 
been freed.
  In a second inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln declared 
that slavery was America's original sin: ``Yet, if God wills that it 
continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's 250 years of 
unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with 
the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said 
3,000 years ago, so still it must be said `the judgments of the Lord 
are true and righteous altogether.' ''
  We know that Abraham Lincoln wanted to maintain the unity of this 
Nation, but he wanted it to be without slaves. The story of the trail 
will be one that will be enlightening because the newly freed slaves 
established communities. They established schools. They established 
churches, and they migrated into the Houston community, coming up from 
that Emancipation National Historic Trail.
  Today, the city of Houston is fortunate to call those communities 
Freedmen's Town and Emancipation Park. The first park that was bought 
in the State of Texas was bought by freed slaves in Independence 
Heights. Freedmen's Town survived while other communities did not, and 
it continues to have some of the historic buildings.
  By 1915, over 400 African American-owned businesses existed in 
Freedmen's Town. By 1920, one-third of Houston's 85,000 people lived in 
Freedmen's Town.
  Freedmen's Town is recognized as a historic district. Emancipation 
Park was established in 1872 as Texas' oldest park, and it was bought, 
as I indicated, by freed slaves for a mere $8. After the emancipation, 
Freedmen's Town became one of the only sanctuaries for free persons in 
Houston.
  The Freedmen's Town community has fought to preserve its structures, 
and though we are suffering from gentrification and the movement of our 
historic structures, we still have the character of that community.
  I am delighted that the new neighbors, the new residents of that area 
will now be able to recognize how important Freedmen's Town is, and we 
can work together to build the historical story.
  One such struggle was to preserve the handmade red bricks, and this 
evidences the restoring, the very important ceremony to put the old 
bricks that were made by freed slaves, to put them back into Freedmen's 
Town.
  There are many stories that have come with this recurrent retelling 
of this trail, and I believe it will be an important trail and 
important story as well.
  Let me also indicate that Independence Heights, as I said, was the 
first city, and we have already discussed the importance of 
Emancipation Park.
  On September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American 
History and Culture opened its doors, after 13 years of planning and 
construction and over 100 years of struggle, to see the history of 
former slaves as part of the complex of the museums of the Smithsonian 
that began in 1915.
  I am proud to say that one of my predecessors, the Honorable Mickey 
Leland, was the first to seek to establish a museum dealing with 
slaves.
  Then came   John Lewis, who introduced his bill in 2003. I was 
delighted to be able to be part of it.
  I am asking for strong support for H.R. 434. As I indicated, it 
brings back great memories of understanding our discussion in school 
about slavery and its aftermath. There was no commemoration to 
recognize that historic march, that historic migration when the slaves 
were freed in Galveston at that time and the settling that went on in 
the city of Houston.

                              {time}  2130

  It is very important to have knowledge of our history. With this 
trail, not only will the information about this historic trail be 
placed in the annals of the history of the United States, but I will be 
very grateful that the children and their children's children will 
really understand the important collective history of this great 
Nation.
  Again, I wish to thank all of those who supported this. It is 
important to be able to thank Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner 
Rodney Ellis, the African American Library at Gregory School, the 
Houston Freedmen's Town Conservatory, the Freedmen's Town Advisory 
Committee, the Emancipation Park Conservancy, the Independence Heights 
Redevelopment Council, the Freedmen's Town Preservation Coalition, the 
Kohrville Community Amos Cemetery Association, the Texas Center for 
African American Living History, the Rutherford B. Hayes Yates Museum, 
the Heritage Society of Sam Houston Park, the Houston Association of 
Black Psychologists, the Kinder Foundation, and Vanderbilt University.
  Ramon Manning, who heads the Emancipation Park Conservancy, was an 
avid and strong supporter, also, as I mentioned, Sylvester Turner, the 
mayor of the city of Houston; Jacqueline Bostic; the Fourth Ward 
Redevelopment Authority; the head of the Emancipation Park Conservancy; 
and the director of parks. As I said, the mayor of the city of 
Galveston was also a supporter.
  Mr. Speaker, I include letters in support of H.R. 434
                                                   City of Houston


                                           Library Department,

                                       Houston, TX, July 22, 2019.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: The Houston Public 
     Library, on behalf of the African American Library at the 
     Gregory School (The Gregory School), endorses H.R. 434, the 
     Emancipation National Historic Trail Act, which had a hearing 
     before the Subcommittee on April 2, 2019.
       The Library has a vested interest in the Emancipation 
     National Historic Trail because The Gregory School currently 
     holds and has held a very unique place in the histories of 
     Texas, Houston, and Freedmen's Town/Fourth Ward history for 
     more than 152 years.
       In 2009, The Gregory School was established by the Houston 
     Public Library as an African American Research and Archival 
     Center in Houston's Historic Fourth Ward or Freedmen's Town. 
     Freedman's Town was established in 1865 as the destination of 
     former enslaved people in Texas and Louisiana after the Civil 
     War. In 1866, the Freedmen's Bureau opened schools for black 
     children and adults in the area. The Texas Legislature 
     authorized the creation of public schools for the black 
     community in 1870. By 1872 most of the students and teachers 
     who were at the Bureau schools, which were closing, left them 
     to attend the state-managed Gregory Institute. The Gregory 
     Institute was the first school for freed slaves in Houston. 
     Mike Snyder of the Houston Chronicle said that it was 
     ``perhaps the first school for freed slaves in the State of 
     Texas.'' By 1876 the Gregory Institute became a part of the 
     Houston Public School System. The building that now houses 
     the African American Library at the Gregory School first 
     opened in 1926, as a two-story public school building for 
     ``colored children,'' and was named Gregory Elementary 
     School. In March 2019, The Gregory School was designated as a 
     ``site of Memory associated with the UNESCO Slave Route 
     Project'' for being the first public school for freed slaves 
     in the state of Texas.
       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, 
     then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport 
     town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's 
     Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th 
     Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 
     1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. 
     His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two 
     and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation 
     Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston 
     to spread the news to neighboring communities.
       Should this bill become law it would establish the first 
     trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring long overdue historic recognition due to the role 
     African Americans played in the building of the today's 
     Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue 
     generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this 
     trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston 
     and the adjoining areas.
           Sincerely,
                                         Rhea Brown Lawson, Ph.D.,
     Director of the Houston Public Library.
                                  ____



                                    Harris County Precint One,

                                       Houston, TX, July 22, 2019.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: I would like to 
     express my strong support for H.R. 434, ``Emancipation 
     National Historic Trail Act.'' The trail will follow the 
     migration route taken by newly freed slaves from Galveston to 
     the vibrant settlement of

[[Page H7355]]

     Freedmen's Town, which today is located outside downtown 
     Houston in the 18th Congressional District. The trail would 
     extend north 51 miles from Galveston's historic Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel AME Church along Highway 3 and 
     Interstate 45 to Freedmen's Town and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston.
       As the Harris County Precinct One Commissioner, I have the 
     privilege of representing the Freedman's Town and 
     Emancipation Park areas; I firmly believe the trail will 
     further elevate the historical significance of these vibrant 
     communities and tell an important part of our local and 
     national history. The Emancipation National Historic Trail 
     would be the first trail in southwest United States that 
     recognizes the role of African Americans in the legacy of 
     freedom.
       I applaud you for introducing the bill, which I 
     wholeheartedly support, and urge your support of the creation 
     of the Emancipation National Historic Trail Act. It would 
     bring national attention to a period of history when our 
     nation took significant strides to make real the promise of 
     our founding documents that give all people the right to 
     freedom--a worthy goal, indeed.
       Thank you for your time and consideration.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Rodney Ellis,
     Commissioner.
                                  ____



                                        Vanderbilt University,

                                     Nashville, TN, July 19, 2019.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: As the U.S. Member 
     of the UNESCO International Scientific Committee for the 
     Slave Route Project: ``Resistance, Liberty and Heritage,'' I 
     write to endorse H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail Act, which had a hearing before the Subcommittee on 
     April 2, 2019.
       My UNESCO charge has been to help identify sites of 
     importance for the history of Africans and their descendants 
     in our country, and to support the nomination of these sites 
     for a UNESCO Slave Route designation. Since 2017, I have had 
     the pleasure of working with the organizations and 
     individuals in Houston who have been dedicated to preserving 
     this important and underappreciated history. After much hard 
     work on their part, this year a number of Houston sites won 
     the UNESCO Slave Route designation. As an historian of the 
     African past in the Americas, I have long recognized the role 
     Galveston played in the African slave trade, filtering newly 
     imported Africans into the U.S. Southwest. Nor did 
     Galveston's engagement in that trade end in 1808 when 
     Congress officially abolished that trade.
       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, 
     then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport 
     town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's 
     Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th 
     Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 
     1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. 
     His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two 
     and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation 
     Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston 
     to spread the news to neighboring communities.
       Should this bill become law it would establish the first 
     trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring long overdue historic recognition due to the role 
     African Americans played in the building of the today's 
     Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue 
     generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this 
     trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston 
     and the adjoining areas.
       This August I will attend the meeting of the UNESCO 
     International Scientific Committee for the Slave Route 
     Project in Cotonou, Benin, where we will celebrate the 25th 
     anniversary of the project and where I will be proud to 
     report on the successes in Texas. I hope that the passage of 
     this bill will be an additional item to celebrate.
           Sincerely,
     Jane Landers,
       Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair of History, Vanderbilt 
     University, Director, Slave Societies Digital Archive, 
     Member, UNESCO International Scientific Committee for the 
     Slave Route Project.
                                  ____

     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: The Kohrville 
     Community Amos Cemetery Association endorses H.R. 434, the 
     Emancipation National Historic Trail Act, which had a hearing 
     before the Subcommittee on April 2, 2019.
       The Amos Cemetery is the oldest African-American burial 
     ground in the Kohrville community. Amos Cemetery is a 
     significant part of Texas history by awarding it an Official 
     Texas Historical Marker. The designation honors the cemetery 
     as an important and educational part of local history. In 
     1881, former enslaved blacks from Alabama and Mississippi 
     settled the area located on Cypress Creek. The Kohrville 
     community, centered on farming, ranching and lumber 
     industries, and offered schools for black students. Families 
     that established this community are buried here as history is 
     preserved by the Kohrville Community Amos Cemetery 
     Association.
       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, 
     then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport 
     town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's 
     Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th 
     Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 
     1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. 
     His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two 
     and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation 
     Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston 
     to spread the news to neighboring communities.
       Should this bill become law it would establish the first 
     trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring long overdue historic recognition due to the role 
     African Americans played in the building of the today's 
     Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue 
     generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this 
     trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston 
     and the adjoining areas.
           Sincerely,
                                                Cathyrine Stewart,
     President Kohrville Community Association.
                                  ____

                                                   Freedmen's Town


                                        Preservation Coalition

                                       Houston, TX, July 22, 2019.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: This letter is 
     written to advise you that the Freedmen's Town Preservation 
     Coalition was established in June 2014 to preserve and 
     protect historical sites and properties. We therefore, 
     enthusiastically endorse H.R. 434, the Emancipation National 
     Historic Trail Act, which had a hearing before the 
     Subcommittee on April 2, 2019.
       FTPC is a grassroots citizens-based organization that saw a 
     problem with the destruction of historical cultural sites and 
     properties in Freedmen's Town, the first place for settlement 
     of formerly enslaved Africans. The trail of Freedom led to 
     establishment of Freedmen's Town. FTPC stopped the 
     destruction and removal of the historic bricks that were 
     made, paid for and laid by freedmen and their descendants by 
     first, developing an awareness campaign, secondly, placing a 
     human body in the hole of destruction and finally, through 
     legal action. Hence, as you can see, we recognize that 
     preservation must happen and thusly, we are delighted with 
     your proposed action to establish an Emancipation National 
     Historic Trail.
       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, 
     then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport 
     town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's 
     Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th 
     Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 
     1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. 
     His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two 
     and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation 
     Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston 
     to spread the news to neighboring communities.
       Should this bill become law it would establish the first 
     trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring long overdue historic recognition due to the role 
     African Americans played in the building of the today's 
     Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue 
     generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this 
     trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston 
     and the adjoining areas.
           Sincerely,
                                            Dorris Ellis Robinson,
        Founder and President of the Freedmen's Town Preservation 
                                                        Coalition.

[[Page H7356]]

     
                                  ____
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: The Houston 
     Association of Black Psychologists (HABPsi) endorses H.R. 
     434, the Emancipation National Historic Trail Act, which had 
     a hearing before the Subcommittee on April 2, 2019.
       As a group of mental health professionals, HABPsi is of the 
     opinion that the recognition of the Emancipation National 
     Historic Trail would extend further the redemption of people 
     of African descent who continue to live with the legacy of 
     enslavement to this day. Even after more than 150 years since 
     the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans experience 
     mental, emotional and spiritual pain from the experience of 
     generations of enslavement. Acknowledgement of slavery ending 
     . . . of free men, women and children walking away is a 
     powerful remembrance.
       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, 
     then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport 
     town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's 
     Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th 
     Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 
     1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. 
     His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two 
     and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation 
     Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston 
     to spread the news to neighboring communities.
       Should this bill become law it would establish the first 
     trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring long overdue historic recognition due to the role 
     African Americans played in the building of the today's 
     Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue 
     generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this 
     trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston 
     and the adjoining areas.
           Sincerely,
                                              Ms. Anelle Williams,
     HABPsi President.
                                  ____

                                              Independence Heights


                                  Redevelopment Council, Inc.,

     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: On behalf of the 
     Board of Directors, staff and community of historic 
     Independence Heights. we are pleased to offer this letter 
     supporting the establishment of the National Emancipation 
     Heritage Trail. We are excited about this effort and have 
     been engaged to assure all of our local churches, businesses 
     and community groups join us as we endorse H.R. 434: the 
     Emancipation National Historic Trail Act, referenced in a 
     hearing held before the Subcommittee on April 2, 2019.
       As the local convening agency in Independence Heights, we 
     work everyday to preserve the rich heritage of Independence 
     Heights, the first municipality established by African 
     Americans in the State of Texas. This is especially important 
     to us as we are amongst only a handful of communities 
     remaining across America that still exist today. We are 
     hopeful that H.R. 434 will serve as a beacon and give hope to 
     many other places that are struggling to protect heritage 
     before it is all erased.
       African Americans were tenacious people. After the Civil 
     War, they united and established settlements and even 
     incorporated towns in the south amidst racial upheaval and 
     reconstruction. We are proud f this heritage and are proud to 
     stand with other communities including Galveston, 
     Emancipation Park and Freedman's Town in Houston. The passing 
     of this bill will result in the Emancipation National 
     Historic Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the 
     Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along 
     Texas State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's 
     Town, then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves where General Gordon Granger announced 
     the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, freeing the 
     last American slaves. The newly freed slaves traveled 
     spreading the news to neighboring communities.
       Should this bill become law it would establish the first 
     trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom. It would also 
     bring awareness highlighting the undertold story of many 
     African Americans towns and places. In addition, the revenue 
     generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this 
     trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston 
     and the adjoining areas.
           Sincerely,
     Tanya Debose,
       Executive Director, Independence Heights Redevelopment 
     Council, Inc.
                                  ____



                                Emancipation Park Conservancy,

                                                    April 2, 2019.
     Hon. Deb Haaland,
     Chairwoman--House Subcommittee National Parks, Forest, and 
         Public Lands Natural Resources Committee, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Don Young,
     Ranking Member--House Subcommittee National Parks, Forest, 
         and Public Lands Natural Resources Committee, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Chairwoman Haaland and Ranking Member Young: I write 
     to express strong support for H.R. 434, the Emancipation 
     National Historic Trail Act, introduced by Congresswoman 
     Sheila Jackson Lee. Enactment of this bill will make possible 
     an Emancipation National Historic Trail, which will extend 51 
     miles from the historic Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in 
     Galveston, Texas, along Highway 3 and Interstate 45, north to 
     Freedmen's Town and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. This 
     trail follows the migration route taken by newly-freed slaves 
     from the Galveston, Texas a major nineteenth century port to 
     the vibrant settlement of Freedmen's Town, which is today the 
     Fourth Ward of Houston, in the 18th Congressional District.
       The Emancipation National Historic Trail would be the first 
     trail in the southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring national recognition to a period of history when our 
     nation took significant strides to make real the promise of 
     our nation's founding documents attesting to the rights of 
     all to live free.
       Sparked by the desire to have a place to commemorate the 
     anniversary of their emancipation, known as Juneteenth, 
     former slaves and community members in the Third and Fourth 
     Wards led by Reverend Jack Yates, Richard Allen, Richard 
     Brock, and Reverend Elias Dibble united to raise $1,000 in 
     1872 to purchase 10 acres of park land to host Juneteenth 
     Celebrations. Emancipation Park is the most historic and 
     culturally significant park in the city of Houston and was 
     formerly one of the only communal spaces for Blacks in 
     Houston. Over the years, Emancipation Park's immediate 
     surrounding area experienced an economic boom, where many 
     Black owned and frequented businesses, financial institutions 
     and venues flourished in Houston's Third Ward. Emancipation 
     Park is significant, not only as a ritual of remembrance and 
     celebration, but also as an early act of exercising the 
     rights of property ownership, commerce and cooperative 
     economics amongst Blacks, which were formerly denied, known 
     in our nation's founding documents as ``life, liberty, and 
     the pursuit of happiness''. The Emancipation National 
     Historic Trail would serve as an invaluable opportunity to 
     share rich cultural, social, historical and economic strides 
     that have shaped society in the past and present. Thank you 
     for your consideration in this designation.
           Sincerely,

                                                Ramon Manning,

                                                   Board Chairman,
     Emancipation Park Conservancy.
                                  ____

                                                   Freedmen's Town


                                           Advisory Committee,

                                       Houston, TX, July 20, 2019.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Jackson Lee: The Freedmen's Town 
     Advisory Committee would like to express our enthusiastic 
     support for H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail Act, which had a hearing before the Subcommittee on 
     April 2, 2019.
       The Freedmen's Town Advisory Committee was established by 
     Mayor Sylvester Turner to help preserve the historical 
     integrity of Freedmen's Town for the benefit of generations 
     to come. Historians have stated that Freedmen's Town is 
     potentially the ``largest linear architectural footprint 
     still preserved in America'' of black urban life during the 
     post-slavery Reconstruction era.
       The Committee has worked to promote Freedmen's Town and 
     bring international recognition from the United Nations 
     Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization to the 
     area. As a result of this collaboration, multiple sites 
     located on the proposed Trail have been designated as ``Sites 
     of Memory Associated to the UNESCO Slave Route Project''.
       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, 
     then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport 
     town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's 
     Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th 
     Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 
     1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. 
     His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two 
     and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation 
     Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston 
     to spread the news to neighboring communities. Should this 
     bill become

[[Page H7357]]

     law it would establish the first trail in the Southwest 
     United States that recognizes the role of African Americans 
     in the legacy of freedom in the United States.
       An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would bring long 
     overdue historic recognition to the role African Americans 
     played in the building of today's Houston and the state of 
     Texas. In addition, the revenue generated by people who come 
     to visit the area and walk this trail will result in tourism 
     dollars to the city of Houston and the adjoining areas.
           Warm Regards,
                                                     Eileen Lawal,
     Chair.
                                  ____

                                                Houston Freedmen's


                                             Town Conservancy,

                                       Houston, TX, July 20, 2019.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Jackson Lee: With this letter, The 
     Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy would like to express our 
     enthusiastic support for H.R. 434, the Emancipation National 
     Historic Trail Act, which had a hearing before the 
     Subcommittee on April 2, 2019.
       The Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-
     profit corporation that was established to protect and 
     preserve the history of Freedmen's Town for the benefit of 
     future generations. Freedmen's Town was listed on the 
     National Register of Historic Places in 1985, by the U.S. 
     Department of Interior, and some of the historic sites 
     located in this ``Mother Ward'' as it is commonly known, were 
     recognized in March, 2019 by the United Nations Educational, 
     Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Seven of these 
     historic sites, all located along the proposed Historic 
     Trail, have been designated as ``Sites of Memory Associated 
     with the UNESCO Slave Route Project''.
       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, 
     then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport 
     town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's 
     Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th 
     Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 
     1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. 
     His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two 
     and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation 
     Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston 
     to spread the news to neighboring communities. Should this 
     bill become law it would establish the first trail in the 
     Southwest United States that recognizes the role of African 
     Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United States.
       An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would bring long 
     overdue historic recognition due to the role African 
     Americans played in the building of today's Houston and the 
     state of Texas. In addition, the revenue generated by people 
     who come to visit the area and walk this trail will result in 
     tourism dollars to the city of Houston and the adjoining 
     areas.
           Warm Regards,
                                                     Eileen Lawal,
                                     Board of Directors President.

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to 
me. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 434 enthusiastically. We look 
forward to the history being told for all to know, to appreciate, and 
to understand.
  Mr. Speaker, as the author and principal sponsor, I rise today in 
strong support of H.R. 434, the ``Emancipation National Historic Trail 
Act.''
  I thank Chairman Raul M. Grijalva for shepherding this legislation to 
the floor.
  I also thank Congresswoman Haaland, chair of the Natural Resources 
Committee's Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands 
for holding the hearing that allowed the Committee to learn of the 
strong support enjoyed by H.R. 434, and the hard work of dedicated 
historic preservationists to preserve the rich history of former 
slaves.
  Let me begin by thanking Ms. Naomi Mitchell Carrier of Houston, 
Texas, for her stalwart efforts to preserve and share the stories of 
newly freed slaves who settled in the Freedmen's Town section of 
Houston to begin lives as free persons following the end of the Civil 
War.
  Ms. Mitchell Carrier is an educator, historian, and author with 
expertise in African American music, Texas history, and heritage 
tourism.
  I also thank Ms. Eileen Lawal for her April 2019 oral testimony 
before the Natural Resources Committee, in support of H.R. 434.
  Ms. Lawal is the president of Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy, 
whose mission is to protect and preserve the history of Freedmen's Town 
for the benefit of future generations.
  The work of H.R. 434 will result in the second trail in the United 
States that chronicles the experience of African Americans.
  Currently, the National Parks Service only has one National Historic 
Trail, which centers on the African American experience.
  It is the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, which covers a 
54-mile path between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, was designated a 
National Historic Trail in 1966.
  The Selma to Montgomery Trail tells an important story about a 
pivotal moment in the nation's struggle with turning away from a 
history of segregation and toward a future of equality and justice.
  Establishment of the Emancipation National Historical Trail will be 
the second trail for which that the National Parks Services would have 
responsibility, and it will tell the story of African Americans and 
will preserve for future generations the rich history of the newly-
freed slaves who journeyed to Houston in search of economic and 
political opportunity, and greater religious and cultural freedom.
  It is a remarkable story and one that all Americans can be proud to 
share with the world.
  The Emancipation National Historic Trail Act would pave the way for 
the establishment of only the second nationally-recognized historic 
trail that chronicles the experience of African Americans in their 
struggle for equality and justice.
  H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historical Trail Act, designates 
as a national historic trail the 51 miles from the historic Osterman 
Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Highway 3 and 
Interstate 45, north to Freedmen's Town and Emancipation Park in 
Houston, Texas.
  H.R. 434 requires that we study the post-Civil War history of newly-
freed slaves in a major slave holding state following the largest 
military campaign waged on domestic soil in the history of the United 
Sates.
  This period is more than just a story about the North's victory and 
the South's loss--it is a story about a newly-freed people emerging 
from over 250 years of slavery and how they survived into the 21st 
century when other similarly situated communities did not.
  In his Second Inaugural Address President Abraham Lincoln declared 
that slavery was America's Original Sin:

       Yet, if God wills that it continue [The Civil War] until 
     all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty 
     years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop 
     of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn 
     with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so 
     still it must be said ``the judgments of the Lord are true 
     and righteous altogether.''

  The bloody civil war was one phrase often used by battlefield 
survivors to describe what it was--blood, suffering, tears, and death, 
but from this struggle came a new birth of freedom for millions of 
former slaves.
  There were thousands of communities comprised of freed slaves 
throughout the United States--although most of these communities were 
found in the South, they could also be found in the North, South, and 
Midwestern sections of the country.
  Newly-freed slaves held malice toward none, including former slave 
owners.
  But the same could not be said for those who once owned slaves.
  Through economic hardship, natural disasters, and the period of 1919-
1921 called the ``Burnings,'' dozens of communities ceased to exist.
  The City of Houston is fortunate that much of this early history of 
former slaves has survived to this day: Freedmen's Town, Independence 
Heights, and the Emancipation Park areas, which are treasures in our 
nation's history.
  Freedmen's Town survived where other communities did not, and it is 
the only surviving 19th century community built by former slaves to 
have a notable number of original structures that have been protected, 
preserved, or restored.
  Freedmen's Town became the center of opportunity for freed slaves 
throughout the Houston area.
  By 1915, over 400 African American-owned businesses existed there.
  By 1920 one-third of Houston's 85,000 people lived in Freedmen's 
Town.
  Freedmen's Town is a recognized Historic District.
  Emancipation Park was established in 1872 and is Texas's oldest 
public park.
  After emancipation, Freedmen's Town became one of the only 
sanctuaries for freed persons in Houston, Texas.
  Today, Freedmen's Town hosts an impressive number of post-Civil War 
surviving structures--which include homes, public buildings, and 
commercial spaces built by former slaves.
  The Freedmen's Town community has fought to preserve structures, 
unique construction features, and period materials which are unique in 
their continued presence as originally installed.
  One such struggle was the work to preserve handmade red brick street 
in Freedmen's

[[Page H7358]]

Town that streets would have been destroyed had community leaders and 
preservationists not fought and succeeded in winning needed 
infrastructure improvements, and the re-installation of the period 
bricks onto the street.
  There are concerns that Texas Department of Transportation's 
announced highway improvements on I-45 in the City of Houston would 
impact the historic areas of Independence Heights before the study 
directed by this bill could begin.
  The reason the National Parks Service exists is to preserve the 
public lands for all to use and enjoy.
  The nation has invested a great deal in protecting national parks and 
historic places due to their unique beauty, typographical features, or 
historic relevance.
  The stories that make up the American experience have, for far too 
long, been limited to those of one group of Americans.
  The limited view of what is of value or interest to the American 
public has changed with the establishment of a Native American History 
Museum and most recently the opening of the National African American 
History and Culture on the Mall.
  The ``whites-only'' version of American history must end and at the 
same time we can make room for other American stories.
  In 1915, the first suggestion of creating an African American History 
Museum came from African American Union veterans of the Civil War.
  By 1988, Congressmen John Lewis and Mickey Leland introduced 
legislation for a stand-alone African American history museum within 
the Smithsonian Institution.
  Their bill faced significant opposition in Congress due to its cost.
  Supporters of the African American museum tried to salvage the 
proposal by suggesting that the Native Indian museum (then moving 
through Congress) and African American museum share the same space.
  But the compromise did not work, and Congress took no further action 
on the bill.
  In 2001, Congressman Lewis and Congressman J.C. Watts reintroduced 
legislation for a museum in the House of Representatives which became 
law, creating a federal commission to study the idea of an African 
American Museum near Capitol Hill.
  After completing a 2-year study the Commission determined that an 
African American history museum would be of substantial benefit to the 
nation.
  In 1994, despite winning approval in both House and Senate 
committees, the bill died once more, due to opposition by North 
Carolina Senator Jesse Helms, who refused to allow the legislation to 
come to the Senate floor despite bipartisan support.
  In 2003, the House passed the ``National Museum of African American 
History and Culture Act,'' which passed the Senate and was signed into 
law by President George W. Bush.
  On September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American 
History and Culture (NMAAHC) opened its doors after 13 years of 
planning, and construction and over a hundred years of struggle to see 
the history of former slaves as part of the complex of museums on the 
Capital Mall began in 1915.
  The success of the National Museum of African American History and 
Culture reveals the hunger in the nation and across the world for 
authentic stories from our past.
  Since its opening the NMAAHC has generated a sustained demand for 
tickets, an unprecedented problem for a museum--where interest far 
outstrips capacity to accommodate visitors.
  About three million people have already visited the NMAAHC, which is 
the newest museum in the Smithsonian Institution and houses close to 
37,000 rare artifacts within three stories.
  Not only is demand for tickets high, according to the museum's 
associate director, so is the amount of time visitors spend in the 
museum once they get in.
  The museum's associate director told NPR.com that while most venues 
have a ``dwell'' time of an hour and 45 minutes to two hours, visitors 
are spending up to six hours exploring. It's already an important part 
of many people's list of things to do in Washington, D.C.''
  There is a hunger in the nation for stories about African Americans 
from our past that link us to our present and act as guideposts to our 
future.
  This is a momentous opportunity--one that fires the imagination for 
fully telling the American story from the voices and perspectives of 
all of our nation's citizens.
  The richness of these diverse stories is found in Houston's African 
American historic areas.
  These areas of Houston tell the story of many peoples who are part of 
our nation's history by filling in gaps of the story of the United 
States that too many Americans do not know or understand because these 
stories are now being taught as part of American history.
  It is important to ensure that the public trust to preserve our 
nation's history is also a commitment to preserving all of its history, 
including that which reflects both its best and worst moments.
  By way of example, when I was a young girl, I learned the story of 
Crispus Attucks--a key figure in our nation's history who on the eve of 
the American Revolution lost his life during a protest of British rule 
prior to the start of the Revolutionary War.
  However, Crispus Attucks was not the sole person of African descent 
who wanted to see freedom from British rule--he fought for the United 
States and was joined by thousands of other persons of African descent 
who participated in the Revolutionary War.
  Over time the history of the American War for Independence is 
revealing a tapestry of diversity that had not been well understood.
  In the 1980s the daughters of the American Revolution initially would 
not accept black women as members until one stood up and took a stand.
  According to a March 1984 story in the Washington Post, Lena Lorraine 
Santos Ferguson, a retired school secretary, was denied membership in a 
Washington, D.C. chapter of the DAR because she was black.
  Her two white sponsors, Margaret M. Johnston and Elizabeth E. 
Thompson, were shocked at Ms. Ferguson's rejection.
  Ms. Ferguson met the lineage requirements and could trace her 
ancestry to Jonah Gay, a white man who fought in Maine.
  When the reason for not admitting Ms. Ferguson became known, the 
public reaction was swift and negative.
  The Daughters of the American Revolution revisited their denial of 
Ms. Ferguson, and upon reconsideration accepted her as a member, making 
her the first of many women of color who became members of the 
organization.
  The history of the United States is more complex and immensely richer 
than would be apparent if we only consider the history of one group of 
people.
  The tenacity demonstrated and the focus on historical accuracy and 
the need to save what is a unique aspect of American history for future 
generations is important.
  For this reason, I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
vote in support of H.R. 434.
  Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 434, which would authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the 
proposed Emancipation National Historic Trail. This 51-mile trail 
follows the migration route taken by newly freed slaves and other 
persons of African descent from the major 19th-century seaport town of 
Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's Town in Houston.
  Although President Abraham Lincoln officially ended slavery through 
the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, many slaves were 
not freed until much later when news of the proclamation reached their 
towns. The last of those slaves lived in the South and were freed on 
June 19, 1865, after the Emancipation Proclamation was read in 
Galveston.
  On January 1, 1866, the Emancipation Proclamation was read at the 
African Methodist Episcopal Church on 20th and Broadway, now Reedy 
Chapel. A large number of the freed slaves marched from the courthouse 
on 21st and Ball Streets to the church, where the director of the 
Freedmen's Bureau read the proclamation to the marchers.
  The Emancipation Proclamation is still read at the church each year 
at the Juneteenth celebration.
  Houston, Texas, has rich ties to African American history. The 
Emancipation Trail proposed by H.R. 434 ends in Freedmen's Town and 
Emancipation Park in Houston. Freedmen's Town is one of the first and 
the largest of the post-Civil War Black urban communities in Texas. The 
community was established by former Texas slaves who left their 
plantations for the safety of Houston.
  Emancipation Park is also significant to Houston African American 
history. In the years following the emancipation of slaves in Texas, 
African American populations across Texas collected money to buy 
property dedicated to the Juneteenth celebrations. In honor of their 
freedom, they named it Emancipation Park.
  This bill is an important reminder of the struggles of African 
Americans throughout our Nation's history as we have worked to form a 
more perfect union. I support Ms. Jackson Lee's efforts to study the 
proposed trail and highlight the important African American history of 
Texas.

[[Page H7359]]

  Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his support, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following 
letters in support of H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic 
Trail Act:

                                              City of Houston,

                                      Houston, TX, March 26, 2019.
     Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
     Chairman, Natural Resources Committee,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Grijalva: I write today to express my support 
     of Representative Sheila Jackson Lee's bill, H.R. 434, the 
     Emancipation National Historic Trail Act. Passage of this 
     bill will pave the way for the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which will extend approximately 51 miles from the 
     Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along 
     Texas State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's 
     Town and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. This trail 
     follows the migration route taken by newly freed slaves from 
     the major 19th century seaport town of Galveston to the 
     burgeoning community of Freedmen's Town, which is now the 4th 
     Ward of Houston, home to the 18th Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to 
     announce the freedom of the last American slaves. His 
     announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two and a 
     half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. 
     The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston to spread the 
     news to neighboring communities.
       The Emancipation National Historic Trail would be the first 
     trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     that African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring long overdue historic recognition due to the role 
     African Americans played in the building of the today's 
     Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue 
     generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this 
     trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston 
     and the surrounding area. I urge you to pass this bill to 
     create the Emancipation National Historic Trail.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Sylvester Turner,
                                                            Mayor.
                                  ____
                                  


                                            Kinder Foundation,

                                       Houston, TX, July 22, 2019.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: The Kinder 
     Foundation endorses H.R. 434, the Emancipation National 
     Historic Trail Act, which had a hearing before the 
     Subcommittee on April 2, 2019.
       The Kinder Foundation actively supports the community 
     development and preservation of the historic Freedmen's Town 
     and Third Ward in Houston, Texas, which has a direct 
     relationship and serves as a key location in H.R. 434, the 
     Emancipation National Historic Trail Act. The Kinder 
     Foundation is participating in planning efforts for 
     Freedmen's Town and provided early funding for the renovation 
     of Emancipation Park located in Third Ward. Emancipation Park 
     began as 10 acres of land purchased in 1872, by Reverend Jack 
     Yates, Richard Allen, Richard Brock, and Reverend Elias 
     Dibble to serve as a gathering place for former slaves living 
     in the Third and Fourth Wards to commemorate the anniversary 
     of their emancipation (``Juneteenth''). The Kinder Foundation 
     also actively supports the Emancipation Park Conservancy to 
     further programming and operations at Emancipation Park, as 
     well as the Emancipation Community Development Partnership 
     and the Emancipation Economic Development Council in an 
     effort to revitalize the area through affordable housing and 
     education initiatives. Passing H.R. 434, will have an 
     enormous impact and be a major contribution towards the 
     historical and cultural preservation of three of Houston's 
     most historically significant neighborhoods.
       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, 
     then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport 
     town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's 
     Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th 
     Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 
     1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. 
     His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two 
     and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation 
     Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston 
     to spread the news to neighboring communities.
       Should this bill become law it would establish the first 
     trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring long overdue historic recognition due to the role 
     African Americans played in the building of the today's 
     Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue 
     generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this 
     trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston 
     and the adjoining areas.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Nancy G. Kinder,
                                                  President & CEO.
                                  ____
                                  
                                            Rutherford B. H. Yates


                                                 Museum, Inc.,

                                                      Houston, TX.
     Hon. Shiela Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: The Rutherford B H 
     Yates Museum, Inc. endorses H.R. 434, the Emancipation 
     National Historic Trail Act, which had a hearing before the 
     Subcommittee on April 2, 2019.
       The Rutherford B H Yates Museum, Inc. believes that the 
     approval of H.R. 434 will be the first major step toward the 
     goal for the 40 block Freedmen's Town National Register 
     Historic Place-TCP and its related sites, to become U.S. 
     National Landmarks and ultimately to receive UNESCO-World 
     Heritage Cite recognition. In March 2019, the first six (6) 
     of the (74) sites that RBHYates Museum, Inc. had nominated in 
     2016, have been awarded as ``Sites of Memory Associated with 
     the UNESCO-Slave Route''. We continue to submit documents for 
     consideration of the nominated sites, in the UNESCO-Slave 
     Route process.
       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to include the 
     Freedmen's Town National Register Historic Place-TCP, then to 
     Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in Houston, 
     Texas. This trail follows a migration route taken by 
     previously enslaved peoples from the major 19th century 
     seaport town of Galveston to the founding of the earliest 
     Urban settlement of Freedmen's Town-4th Ward, Houston, home 
     to the 18th Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 
     1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. 
     His announcement belatedly freed slaves nearly two and a half 
     years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. The 
     newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston and from 
     Plantations throughout Texas. to other cities and states in 
     search of family members who had been previously sold into 
     slavery, and to spread the news of freedom to neighboring 
     communities.
       The Emancipation National Historic Trail Act would bring 
     long overdue historic recognition for the role African 
     Americans played in the building of Houston and Texas. In 
     addition, the revenue generated by heritage cultural tourists 
     who visit and walk this trail will benefit the City of 
     Houston and the State of Texas.
           Sincerely,
     Theophilus Herrington, Ph.D.
                                  ____

                                              The Heritage Society


                                          at Sam Houston Park,

                                                      Houston, TX.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: The Heritage Society 
     endorses H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic Trail 
     Act, which had a hearing before the Subcommittee on April 2, 
     2019.
       Since its founding, The Heritage Society, a non-profit 
     501(c)(3), has acquired and restored ten historic buildings 
     in the city of Houston. The result is a treasure for our 
     city, with buildings that tell the stories of how diverse 
     segments of society lived daily, from freed slaves building 
     new lives for themselves to prosperous merchant families from 
     Houston's early years. The Heritage Society is an educational 
     institution whose mission is to tell the stories of the 
     diverse history of Houston and Texas through its collections, 
     exhibitions and programing.
       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, 
     then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport 
     town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's 
     Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th 
     Congressional District.
       Two of the historic buildings cared for by The Heritage 
     Society, the Jack Yates House and the 4th Ward Cottage, have 
     been nominated as ``Sites of Memory'' as part of the UNESCO 
     Slave Route Project. Obtaining international recognition to 
     the Jack Yates House signifies its importance as a place that 
     embodies what is was to be an enslaved African-American, who, 
     once freed, became a community leader whose lasting impact is 
     seen today. Recognizing this Historic Trail would truly 
     provide a larger understanding of how Houston's history is 
     both unique and

[[Page H7360]]

     also very much a part of the larger story of the impact of 
     enslavement of African Americans in the United States.
       Should this bill become law it would establish the first 
     trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring long overdue historic recognition due to the role 
     African Americans played in the building of the today's 
     Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue 
     generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this 
     trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston 
     and the adjoining areas.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Alison A. Bell,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: The Texas Center for 
     African American Living History endorses H.R. 434, the 
     Emancipation National Historic Trail Act, which had a hearing 
     before the Subcommittee on April 2, 2019.
       Owing to my research to document historic sites and markers 
     from Galveston to Houston Freedmen's National Historic 
     District, I, Naomi Carrier, develop a written testimony that 
     has become a part of the historical record for H.R. 434, as 
     expressed in this excerpt from Congresswoman, Sheila Jackson 
     Lee:

       ``As the founder and CEO of Texas Center for African 
     American Living History, your insight will be beneficial to 
     the effort to see H.R. 434 become law. In the past thirty 
     years, you have endeavored to bring a fresh perspective to 
     Texas History through performance art and education. If you 
     will prepare written remarks in support of the bill, I will 
     see that your written statement is placed into the record for 
     the hearing and that you will be recognized. There will also 
     be a seat for you to observe this historic hearing. I ask 
     that you plan to attend, you should plan to arrive the 
     evening before or the morning of the hearing to allow us an 
     opportunity to speak before the hearing begins.
       Your written testimony is welcomed and appreciated.
       Very truly yours,
       Sheila Jackson Lee
       Member of Congress''

       This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas 
     State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, 
     then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in 
     Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken 
     by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport 
     town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's 
     Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th 
     Congressional District.
       The start of the trail is located where General Gordon 
     Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 
     1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. 
     His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two 
     and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation 
     Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston 
     to spread the news to neighboring communities. Should this 
     bill become law it would establish the first trail in the 
     Southwest United States that recognizes the role of African 
     Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United States. An 
     Emancipation Historic Trail designation would bring long 
     overdue historic recognition due to the role African 
     Americans played in the building of the today's Houston and 
     the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue generated by 
     people who come to visit the area and walk this trail will 
     result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston and the 
     adjoining areas.
       My research gathered over the past 30 years will be an 
     invaluable asset to the National Park Service in the study of 
     the Trail and relevant 19th and early 20th century historic 
     sites in the surrounding areas.
           Sincerely,
     Naomi Mitchell Carrier,
       M.Ed.--Professor, Houston Community College, Author, Go 
     Down, Old Hannah, Founder, Texas Center for African American 
     Living History (TCAALH), Director, Performing and Visual Arts 
     Workshop.
                                  ____

         Fourth Ward Redevelopment Authority, TIRZ No. 14, 
           Freedman's Town,
                                       Houston, TX, April 1, 2019.
     Re H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic Trail Act

     Hon. Deb Haaland,
     Chairwoman, House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and 
         Public Lands, Natural Resources Committee, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Chairwoman Haaland: On behalf of the Boards of 
     Directors for Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 
     Fourteen, City of Houston, Texas (``TIRZ #14'') and Fourth 
     Ward Redevelopment Authority (the ``Authority''), please 
     allow this correspondence to serve as our expression of 
     support for H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic 
     Trail Act, introduced by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
       It is our understanding that the enactment of this bill 
     will make possible an Emancipation National Historic Trail 
     which will extend 51 miles from the historic Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas along Highway 3 
     and Interstate 45 north to Freedman's Town and Emancipation 
     Park located in Houston, Texas. The trail will follow the 
     migration route taken by newly-freed slaves from Galveston, 
     Texas, a major nineteenth century port, to the vibrant 
     settlement of Freedmen's Town which today is also referenced 
     as the Fourth Ward Houston within the 18th Congressional 
     District.
       The Emancipation National Historic Trail would be the first 
     trail in the southwest region of the United States that 
     recognizes the role of African Americans in the legacy of 
     freedom in the United States. An Emancipation Historic Trail 
     designation would bring national recognition to the period of 
     time when our nation took significant strides to make real 
     the promise of our nation's founding documents attesting to 
     the rights of all men to live free.
       Freedmen's Town is contained within the boundaries of TIRZ 
     #14 and within our zone we have significant structures that 
     are directly related to the founders of Emancipation Park. Of 
     note are the historic brick streets that were laid by freed 
     slaves; Bethel Church founded by Jack Yates which has been 
     restored as an open space park; and The African American 
     Library at Gregory School which originally served as the 
     first public school for black students. Antioch Missionary 
     Baptist Church, the oldest African American church in Houston 
     (1876) whereby Jack Yates served as pastor still resides in 
     the historic boundaries of Freedmen's Town just east of the 
     TIRZ boundaries.
       Through our project plan that directs TIRZ #14 to allocate 
     its funds to historical preservation, among other designated 
     projects, the Authority has set its priorities on preserving 
     and renovating the institutional vestiges of Freedman's Town 
     to assure that for generations to come the story of the 
     African-American experience in Houston can be retold and 
     personally experienced. We strongly believe that The 
     Emancipation National Historic Trail will lend itself to act 
     as the impetus by which the nation will come to know and 
     experience the tenacity and strength of the freed slave to 
     build, thrive and prosper in its own community.
       Therefore, it is an honor to lend our support to the H.R. 
     434, The Emancipation National Historic Trail Act.
           Very truly yours,
                                                Jacqueline Bostic,
     Chair.
                                  ____



                                Emancipation Park Conservancy,

                                                    April 2, 2019.
     Hon. Deb Haaland,
     Chairwoman, House Subcommittee National Parks, Forest, and 
         Public Lands, Natural Resources Committee, Washington, 
         DC.
     Hon. Don Young,
     Ranking Member, House Subcommittee National Parks, Forest, 
         and Public Lands, Natural Resources Committee, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairwoman Haaland and Ranking Member Young: I write 
     to express strong support for H.R. 434, the Emancipation 
     National Historic Trail Act, introduced by Congresswoman 
     Sheila Jackson Lee. Enactment of this bill will make possible 
     an Emancipation National Historic Trail, which will extend 51 
     miles from the historic Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in 
     Galveston, Texas, along Highway 3 and Interstate 45, north to 
     Freedmen's Town and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. This 
     trail follows the migration route taken by newly-freed slaves 
     from the Galveston, Texas a major nineteenth century port to 
     the vibrant settlement of Freedmen's Town, which is today the 
     Fourth Ward of Houston, in the 18th Congressional District.
       The Emancipation National Historic Trail would be the first 
     trail in the southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring national recognition to a period of history when our 
     nation took significant strides to make real the promise of 
     our nation's founding documents attesting to the rights of 
     all to live free.
       Sparked by the desire to have a place to commemorate the 
     anniversary of their emancipation, known as Juneteenth, 
     former slaves and community members in the Third and Fourth 
     Wards led by Reverend Jack Yates, Richard Allen, Richard 
     Brock, and Reverend Elias Dibble united to raise $1,000 in 
     1872 to purchase 10 acres of park land to host Juneteenth 
     Celebrations. Emancipation Park is the most historic and 
     culturally significant park in the city of Houston and was 
     formerly one of the only communal spaces for Blacks in 
     Houston. Over the years, Emancipation Park's immediate 
     surrounding area experienced an economic boom, where many 
     Black owned and frequented businesses, financial institutions 
     and venues flourished in Houston's Third Ward. Emancipation 
     Park is significant, not only as a ritual of remembrance and 
     celebration, but also as an early act of exercising the 
     rights of property ownership, commerce and cooperative 
     economics amongst Blacks, which were formerly denied, known 
     in our nation's founding documents as ``life, liberty, and 
     the pursuit of happiness''.
       The Emancipation National Historic Trail would serve as an 
     invaluable opportunity to

[[Page H7361]]

     share rich cultural, social, historical and economic strides 
     that have shaped society in the past and present. Thank you 
     for your consideration in this designation.
           Sincerely,

                                                Ramon Manning,

     Board Chairman, Emancipation,
     Park Conservancy.
                                  ____

                                                National Trust for


                                        Historic Preservation,

                                                   March 29, 2019.
     Chairman Raul Grijalva,
     Washington, DC.
     Ranking Member Rob Bishop,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Grijalva and Ranking Member Bishop: We 
     appreciate the opportunity to share our support for H.R. 434, 
     the Emancipation National Historic Trail Act. The National 
     Trust enthusiastically endorses this legislation and looks 
     forward to its enactment in this Congress.


       Interests of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

       The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a 
     privately-funded charitable, educational, and nonprofit 
     organization chartered by Congress in 1949 to ``facilitate 
     public participation in historic preservation'' and to 
     further the purposes of federal historic preservation laws. 
     The intent of Congress was for the National Trust ``to 
     mobilize and coordinate public interest, participation, and 
     resources in the preservation and interpretation of sites and 
     buildings.'' With headquarters in Washington, D.C., nine 
     field offices, 27 historic sites, more than one million 
     members and supporters, and a national network of partners in 
     states, territories, and the District of Columbia, the 
     National Trust works to save America's historic places and 
     advocates for historic preservation as a fundamental value in 
     programs and policies at all levels of government.


           H.R. 434, Emancipation National Historic Trail Act

       We appreciate Representative Sheila Jackson Lee's 
     leadership on this legislation to establish the Emancipation 
     National Historic Trail in the state of Texas. The route 
     would extend approximately 51 miles from the Osterman 
     Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston along Texas State 
     Highway 3 and Interstate Highway 45 North to Freedmen's Town 
     and Emancipation Park located in Houston.
       The designation of this historic trail-to be administered 
     by the National Park Service-traces the 19th century 
     migration route from Galveston to Houston of newly freed 
     slaves and persons of African descent. On June 19, 1865, 
     General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston to announce the 
     freedom of the last American slaves, which belatedly freed 
     approximately 250,000 slaves nearly two and a half years 
     after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Their 
     migration to the community of Freedmen's Town located in the 
     Fourth Ward of Houston would be codified in this proposed 
     historic trail designation and further allow the National 
     Park Service to tell the stories of all Americans.
       National Historic Trails administered by the National Park 
     Service provide an opportunity to recognize, commemorate, and 
     interpret travel routes of national historic significance 
     while sharing the significant histories of our nation. We 
     urge Congressional support of this legislation and look 
     forward to enactment of H.R. 434.
           Sincerely,

                                                   Pam Bowman,

     Director of Public Lands Policy.
                                  ____



                                Emancipation Park Conservancy,

                                       Houston, TX, April 2, 2019.
     Hon. Deb Haaland,
     Chairwoman--House Subcommittee National Parks, Forest, and 
         Public Lands, Natural Resources Committee, Washington, 
         DC.
     Hon. Don Young,
     Ranking Member--House Subcommittee National Parks, Forest, 
         and Public Lands, Natural Resources Committee, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairwoman Haaland and Ranking Member Young: I write 
     to express strong support for H.R. 434, the Emancipation 
     National Historic Trail Act, introduced by Congresswoman 
     Sheila Jackson Lee. Enactment of this bill will make possible 
     an Emancipation National Historic Trail, which will extend 51 
     miles from the historic Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in 
     Galveston, Texas, along Highway 3 and Interstate 45, north to 
     Freedmen's Town and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. This 
     trail follows the migration route taken by newly-freed slaves 
     from the Galveston, Texas a major nineteenth century port to 
     the vibrant settlement of Freedmen's Town, which is today the 
     Fourth Ward of Houston, in the 18th Congressional District.
       The Emancipation National Historic Trail would be the first 
     trail in the southwest United States that recognizes the role 
     of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United 
     States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would 
     bring national recognition to a period of history when our 
     nation took significant strides to make real the promise of 
     our nation's founding documents attesting to the rights of 
     all to live free.
       Sparked by the desire to have a place to commemorate the 
     anniversary of their emancipation, known as Juneteenth, 
     former slaves and community members in the Third and Fourth 
     Wards led by Reverend Jack Yates, Richard Allen, Richard 
     Brock, and Reverend Elias Dibble united to raise $1,000 in 
     1872 to purchase 10 acres of park land to host Juneteenth 
     Celebrations. Emancipation Park is the most historic and 
     culturally significant park in the city of Houston and was 
     formerly one of the only communal spaces for Blacks in 
     Houston. Over the years, Emancipation Park's immediate 
     surrounding area experienced an economic boom, where many 
     Black owned and frequented businesses, financial institutions 
     and venues flourished in Houston's Third Ward. Emancipation 
     Park is significant, not only as a ritual of remembrance and 
     celebration, but also as an early act of exercising the 
     rights of property ownership, commerce and cooperative 
     economics amongst Blacks, which were formerly denied, known 
     in our nation's founding documents as ``life, liberty, and 
     the pursuit of happiness''. The Emancipation National 
     Historic Trail would serve as an invaluable opportunity to 
     share rich cultural, social, historical and economic strides 
     that have shaped society in the past and present. Thank you 
     for your consideration in this designation.
           Sincerely,

                                                Ramon Manning,

                                      Board Chairman--Emancipation
                                                 Park Conservancy.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Guam (Mr. San Nicolas) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 434, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to amend 
the National Trails System Act to provide for the study of the 
Emancipation National Historic Trail, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________