[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 7 (Monday, January 9, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H96]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              REPARATIONS

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it has been 38 years, and I rise with 
enthusiasm on reintroducing H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and 
Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act.
  I am pleased to reintroduce this legislation and to acknowledge to my 
friends and colleagues that it was first introduced in 1989 after the 
implementation of the American Civil Liberties Act that provided 
compensation to Japanese Americans.
  H.R. 40 does not focus on all of that only. It focuses on the study 
of slavery and the understanding of what would be the next steps to end 
the vast disparities in the African-American community even today in 
2023. And so this introduction allows for a study, an analysis, and 
action.
  I am pleased with the more than 350 organizations, CEOs, scholars, 
State and local officials, and Members of Congress who have been 
supportive in understanding the era of slavery in this country.
  The 13th amendment may have ended slavery, but the disparities exist.
  Let us pass H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation 
Proposals for African Americans Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to re-introduce H.R. 40, the Commission to 
Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act. This 
legislation was first introduced by retired Member of Congress John 
Conyers of Michigan in 1989 and was intended to examine the institution 
of slavery in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the 
present, and further recommend appropriate remedies.
  Since the initial introduction of this legislation, its proponents 
have made substantial progress in elevating the discussion of 
reparations and reparatory justice at the national level and joining 
the mainstream international debate on the issues. Though some have 
tried to deflect the importance of these conversations by focusing on 
individual monetary compensation, the real issue is whether and how 
this nation can come to grips with the legacy of slavery that still 
infects current society. Through legislation, resolutions, news, and 
litigation, we are moving closer to making more strides in the movement 
toward reparations.
  Today there are more people at the table--more activists, more 
scholars, more CEOs, more state and local officials, and more Members 
of Congress. However, despite this progress and the election of the 
first American President of African descent, the legacy of slavery 
lingers heavily in this nation. While we have focused on the societal 
effects of slavery and segregation, its continuing economic 
implications remain largely ignored by mainstream analysis. These 
economic issues are the root cause of many critical issues in the 
African American community today, such as education, healthcare and 
criminal justice policy, including policing practices. The call for 
reparations represents a commitment to entering a constructive dialogue 
on the role of slavery and racism in shaping present-day conditions in 
our community and American society.
  Over the last several years, we have had a distinguished academic and 
activist panel from the National African American Reparations 
Commission dive into some of the most salient points in the discussion 
of reparations. I am supporting this effort by continuing to hold the 
annual reparations retrospective at the Annual Legislative Conference 
of the Congressional Black Caucus.
  I believe that H.R. 40 is a crucial piece of legislation because it 
goes beyond exploring the economic implications of slavery and 
segregation. It is a holistic bill in the sense that it seeks to 
establish a commission to also examine the moral and social 
implications of slavery. In short, the Commission aims to study the 
impact of slavery and continuing discrimination against African 
Americans, resulting directly and indirectly from slavery to 
segregation to the desegregation process and the present day. The 
commission would also make recommendations concerning any form of 
apology and compensation to begin the long-delayed process of atonement 
for slavery.
  With the over criminalization and policing of black bodies, a 
reoccurring issue in African American communities, I believe this 
conversation is both relevant and crucial to restoring trust in 
governmental institutions in many communities. As in years past, I 
welcome open and constructive discourse on H.R. 40 and the creation of 
this commission in the 118th Congress. Though the times and 
circumstance may change, the principal problem of slavery continues to 
weigh heavily on this country. A federal commission can help us reach 
into this dark past and bring us into a brighter future.

                          ____________________