[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 21, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8061-H8063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SLAVERY REMEMBRANCE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 2021, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Green) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, the great Maya Angelou summarized 
the very essence of my being when she proclaimed `` . . . the gifts my 
ancestors gave, I am the dream and hope of the slave.'' I am proud to 
say tonight that I am a descendent of enslaved people.
  I also want to acknowledge tonight a couple of righteous allies of 
enslaved people. Mr. Steny Hoyer, the majority leader of the House. Mr. 
Hoyer and I worked closely to bring the Slavery Remembrance Day 
resolution to the floor. I am very proud of what he has done to help 
us. I consider him a righteous ally of enslaved people.
  President Joe Biden: President Biden issued a press statement that I 
will be eternally grateful for as it relates to enslaved people. In 
fact, I would like to read from the statement that the President 
actually issued. Of course, it is the President's statement, Joe Biden, 
marking Slavery Remembrance Day. He issued this on August 20, 2022.
  It reads:

       More than 400 years ago, 20 enslaved Africans were forcibly 
     brought to the shores of what would become the United States. 
     Millions more were stolen and sold in the centuries that 
     followed, part of a system of slavery that is America's 
     original sin.
       Great Nation's don't hide from their history. They 
     acknowledge their past, both the triumphs and the tragedies. 
     Today is a day--

  He is talking about August 20.

       Today is a day to reflect on the terrible toll of slavery, 
     and our Nation's profound ability to heal and emerge 
     stronger.

  He goes on to say:

       Despite the horrors they faced, these men and women and 
     their descendants have made countless contributions to the 
     building of this Nation and the continuous effort to realize 
     the American ideal. I was honored last year to declare 
     Juneteenth a national holiday, another moment to reflect and 
     rededicate ourselves to becoming a more perfect union. And it 
     is why my administration will continue the hard, ongoing work 
     to bring true equity and racial justice to our country.
       I am grateful for the efforts of Congress--in particular, 
     Representative Al Green and Senator Elizabeth Warren--to 
     recognize the significance of this day.

  Madam Speaker, I mention the President because this day was many 
years in the making, many years. In fact, it was on August 20 of 1619 
that the White Lion, a slave ship, a ship with enslaved human beings on 
it, docked at Point Comfort, near what we now call Norfolk, Virginia, 
and it had these 20 human beings on it from Africa. They were traded 
for materials and goods and left there.

                              {time}  1915

  This was a seminal moment in our history, August 20, 1619, some 246 
years, 108 days ago. From August 20, 1619, to January 31, 1865, when 
the 13th Amendment was ratified, we considered these the years and days 
that this country had lawful slavery.
  It is interesting to note that over this entire period of time, there 
were persons who were very helpful to those who were enslaved. I shall 
talk about them later on in this half hour.
  The value of that 246 years of labor, unpaid labor, unpaid slave 
labor, has been estimated to be such as $14.2 trillion. That is in 2009 
dollars. So it is important for us to realize that these persons who 
were enslaved over these 246 years, 108 days, these persons gave 
America a foundation, an economic foundation that has persisted to this

[[Page H8062]]

day--246 years, 108 days of free labor, some $14.2 trillion.
  In fact, these persons are the greatest contributors to the American 
economy, the greatest contributors ever to the American economy, 
because of 246 years, 108 days of free labor.
  Here are some of the well-known landmarks and buildings built by 
enslaved human beings. I will talk about them. This is according to an 
article styled ``15 American landmarks that were built by slaves,'' 
published in the publication known as the Business Insider and by James 
Pasley. Let me now start.
  The first is the White House. According to the White House Historical 
Association, enslaved human beings were likely involved in all aspects 
of the construction, including the carpentry, masonry, cording, 
rafting, plastering, glazing, and painting.
  The task force reported this. Slaves appeared to have shouldered 
alone all the grueling work of sawing logs and stones.
  The White House: Constructed by slaves.
  The U.S. Capitol Building: Enslaved human beings quarried the stone 
used for the floors, walls, and columns of the Capitol. They shaped 
that stone. They laid the brick foundations of the buildings.
  Enslaved human beings, in large part, also completed the carpentry as 
they framed the roof and installed its shingles and its coverings. 
Enslaved human beings were responsible for more skilled labor like 
plastering and painting.
  The White House and the Capitol.
  The Statue of Freedom atop the Capitol: If you have been to 
Washington, D.C., you have seen the Statue of Freedom atop the Capitol. 
An enslaved human being created the Statue of Freedom.
  This is remarkable and almost painful to say, knowing that a person 
who was enslaved created the Statue of Freedom that is atop the 
Capitol. It was done so because Philip Reid was the only person 
available with the skill to make a bronze statue out of the plaster 
cast.
  The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.: Although enslaved 
individuals did not work on the actual building, they were the ones who 
quarried the iconic red sandstone that still adorns the building to 
this day.
  Wall Street in New York: Enslaved human beings built the titular wall 
for which the street is named. In addition, Wall Street was the 
location of one of the largest slave markets in the country in the 
1700s.
  Trinity Church in New York: Enslaved human beings helped to build the 
original Trinity Church on Wall Street, which stood from 1698 until 
1776.
  Fraunces Tavern in New York: Although few specific details still 
exist on the process, enslaved human beings built one of the oldest 
buildings in Manhattan.
  Faneuil Hall in Boston: Enslaved human beings helped build the cradle 
of liberty indirectly by working for Peter Faneuil, who helped fund the 
building with funds made from slavery.
  Fort Sumter in South Carolina: Enslaved human beings helped build the 
fort where the Civil War began. They were forced to help create the 
bricks that made up the structure, as well as forced to repair the fort 
while it was under attack. As many as 20 slaves died during the attack 
on the fort.
  Harvard Law School in Massachusetts: Enslaved human beings helped 
build the Harvard Law School through the wealth of the slave owner 
Isaac Royall, Jr., whose wealth came from his sugar plantations and 
farms.
  Castillo de San Marcos fort in Florida: The oldest missionary fort in 
the United States was built by enslaved human beings who toiled for 
around 25 years under the Spanish to build the fort.
  Georgetown University: Enslaved human beings were sold in order to 
raise $3.3 million in funds, in today's money, to finance the 
construction of the Georgetown campus.
  The University of North Carolina: Enslaved human beings helped build 
the oldest public university in the country. Many of the University of 
North Carolina structures were built and maintained by slaves.
  Monticello in Virginia: Thomas Jefferson's home had its bricks and 
limestone quarried, built, and placed by enslaved human beings.
  Montpelier in Virginia: President James Madison's family had their 
homes cleared, created, and constructed by enslaved human beings.
  Mount Vernon in Virginia: President George Washington's home, Mount 
Vernon, was built by enslaved human beings who were forced to quarry 
the materials, as well as build and maintain the home.
  In summary, enslaved human beings built some of the most well-known 
structures in our country. To recap, they built the White House in 
Washington, D.C., or helped to--there were others involved--the U.S. 
Capitol in Washington, D.C., the Statue of Freedom atop the Capitol, 
the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., Wall Street in New 
York, Trinity Church in New York, Fraunces Tavern in New York, Faneuil 
Hall in Boston, Fort Sumter in South Carolina, Harvard Law School in 
Massachusetts, Castillo de San Marcos fort in Florida, Georgetown 
University in Washington, D.C., the University of North Carolina, 
Monticello in Virginia, and Montpelier in Virginia.
  It should be noted also that these structures are among those that 
are known to us. The list does not include the untold number of roads, 
bridges, and water wells, as well as houses and more, that were 
constructed by enslaved human beings. It also does not include the many 
crops planted and harvested in the agrarian economy built on the backs 
of enslaved human beings.
  All told, the total value of labor of every hour toiled under the 
whip of slavers in this country has been estimated to be between $5.9 
and $14.2 trillion, 2009 dollars. This is why I say that the enslaved 
human beings are the greatest contributors to the American economy.
  As a group, as a lot, as a people, the enslaved human beings 
contributed upward of around $14.2 trillion of free labor to this 
country. They were the foundational mothers and fathers of this 
country.
  This is a widely cited number, and it was calculated by the 
University of Connecticut researcher Thomas Craemer using the number of 
unremunerated work hours multiplied with historical free market labor 
wages. This is wealth that was stolen from human beings who have seen 
little to none of it repaid.
  The American economy had hundreds of years of free labor that gave it 
a start, that allowed it to compete and, in a sense, to have a 
competitive edge that many other countries did not have simply because 
of enslaved human beings.
  I am honored to say that I am proud to be a descendant of enslaved 
human beings, the persons who built this country, the foundation of it, 
who gave it its start, its place in the economic order as a world 
power--enslaved human beings.
  So, now, let's look at some of the people who were the enslavers.
  John L. Manning owned at least two plantations holding 670 human 
beings against their will, one in South Carolina and another in 
Louisiana--a slave owner.
  Meredith Calhoun held more than 700 enslaved people and produced 
cotton, more cotton than any other property in Louisiana.
  William Aiken was one of the State's wealthiest citizens, the owner 
of the largest rice plantation in the State, with over 700 enslaved on 
1,500 acres under cultivation, almost twice the acreage of the next 
largest plantation.
  This is, for many of the persons who have inherited wealth, how that 
wealth was initially brought into being. Enslaved human beings gave 
them their start with free labor--John Manning, Meredith Calhoun, 
William Aiken.
  Another, John Burnside, was the largest sugar producer in the country 
during his time. Before he died, he owned 10 different plantations and 
enslaved 753 people at his peak.
  Joshua Ward, also known as the king of the rice planters, had 1,130 
enslaved people.
  Stephen Duncan was a businessman who collectively enslaved more than 
2,000 human beings. He was one of the largest cotton producers, not in 
this country but in the world.

                              {time}  1930

  The most that he enslaved that one time was 858.

[[Page H8063]]

  These were the people who had the opportunity to acquire great wealth 
at the expense of the lives of other people, many of whom lived their 
entire lives in bondage and died as enslaved human beings.
  And what is unfortunate about all of this is we in this country have 
come to glorify those who were the enslavers. We glorify the 
Confederate military. We glorify, and to a certain extent, we deify 
many of the Confederate generals. These were the people that were 
fighting to maintain slavery. They get all of the honors, until as of 
late when we started to change that. But they have been given the 
honors.
  The persons who were the liberators were demeaned and portrayed as 
insane, portrayed as murderers. But these were the people who were the 
liberators. We have vilified the liberators and have glorified the 
enslavers.
  It is with great difficulty that we try to change this, but the 
difficulty is such that people don't really want to hear about the 
slaves. They have been so indoctrinated with the glory of the enslavers 
that they can't accept--many people--the fact that the slaves are the 
persons who were the foundational mothers and fathers of this country.
  The slaves should be honored and they should be memorialized. They 
should be placed in the same position, not for having done the same 
thing that persons have done on Memorial Day, those that we memorialize 
in the wars, but they should be given the same dignity and respect 
because they died for this country. They died in bondage for this 
country. They were born into slavery. They lived as slaves, and they 
died as slaves. They ought to be honored and memorialized to the same 
extent as we honor and memorialize those who died in the wars. That is 
hard for some people to accept.
  Many don't want to hear that said. But they should be given the honor 
that they deserve for living and dying for this country, because they 
did. But not only did they live and die for this country, their 
children lived and died for this country. Their children were taken 
away from them, sold at the auction block. Their children and 
grandchildren lived and died as well.
  Why wouldn't we honor the people who lived and died in bondage and 
gave this country its economic foundation to the same extent that we 
honor the people who died in the wars? We should. They made America 
great. They deserve the honor and dignity, the same honor and dignity 
that those who died in wars have been given.
  So let's talk for a minute about the liberators.
  John Brown. I remember when I was in high school--or I don't know if 
it was high school, maybe it was junior high. We studied our history. 
And I remember the indication to us was that John Brown was a crazy 
man, just out to murder people senselessly.
  John Brown was a liberator. He was fighting to liberate the people 
who were enslaved. He has never been given the honor that he deserves. 
John Brown ought to be honored to the same extent that we honor other 
persons who were liberators in wars. He was a liberator in this 
country.
  The difficulty associated with honoring John Brown is this: When we 
honor others who liberated people from injustice, we are looking 
through a window into the world of other people. But if we honor John 
Brown, we have to look into the mirror and we see ourselves and our 
transgressions.
  We have a lot that we have to do to atone for slavery: for taking 
people, selling their children, raping their women. We have a lot to 
atone for. And it is difficult for us to accept the fact that atonement 
is still something that we have not achieved.
  Madam Speaker, I appreciate this President because he has 
acknowledged our history. This President, in my opinion, will be among 
the pantheon of the greatest Presidents this country has had because he 
has fought injustice that others wouldn't speak of.
  He put a Black woman on the Supreme Court. Others could have done it; 
they didn't. President Biden did it.
  He acknowledged Slavery Remembrance Day. Others could have; they 
didn't. President Biden did.
  He will be seen by those in the distant future as one of the greatest 
Presidents this country has had, especially as it relates to addressing 
injustices.
  Sojourner Truth, abolitionist. She became the first Black woman to 
win a case against a White man in this country. It is amazing how 
people like Sojourner Truth are now starting to be recognized, but for 
years, have been denied their rightful place in history as persons who 
fought for the liberation of Black people.
  Nat Turner, a preacher. A preacher who rebelled. He led a 4-day 
rebellion of enslaved people to free Black people. This was in 1841. 
When I studied this in high school or junior high--I am not sure 
which--Nat Turner was portrayed as a traitor, as someone who attacked 
this country.
  Nat Turner was a liberator. Nat Turner was trying to free people who 
were in bondage.
  Robert E. Lee, on the other hand, was trying to maintain slavery. 
Yet, we have had Lee high schools across this country. I know of no Nat 
Turner high school in this country. There may be one, but I know of no 
Nat Turner high school.
  There ought to be Nat Turner high schools across the country to the 
same extent that we have had Lee high schools because Nat Turner was 
the liberator. Lee was the enslaver. He was the person who would 
maintain slavery. Why would we honor Lee to the exclusion of Nat 
Turner, who was a liberator?
  I know this is difficult for some people to manage because we have 
always been told that the liberators were people who were working 
against our country. They were working to free people. The Confederate 
soldiers were working and killing to maintain people in bondage.
  Madam Speaker, I speak the truth. No one can deny the truth of what I 
say. You can deny wanting to see and hear that truth, but it is the 
truth.
  Harriet Tubman, abolitionist, who sought to free slaves as well. She 
made 13 missions and rescued some 70 enslaved people.

  Madam Speaker, there are many more. I know that my time is nearing 
its end, but there are many more.
  Madam Speaker, I will just say this about Harriet Tubman. It has been 
said that she said she could have freed many more ``if they had known 
they were slaves.''
  William Still, Elijah Anderson, Frederick Douglass, and, of course, 
the great Abraham Lincoln: All persons who worked as liberators.
  I will be saying more about this. If you missed out on some portion 
of it tonight, I will present it in a similar fashion at a later time.
  Madam Speaker, I thank the majority leader, Mr. Hoyer, for being a 
righteous ally of enslaved people. I will be eternally grateful to the 
President for being a righteous ally and a person who issued the 
statement recognizing Slavery Remembrance Day on August 23 of each 
year.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________