[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 150 (Wednesday, September 25, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5820-H5821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMEMORATING HISTORIC PRINCE HALL SLAVERY REMEMBRANCE DAY
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. De La Cruz). Under the Speaker's
announced policy of January 9, 2023, the Chair recognizes the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Green) for 30 minutes.
Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, and still I rise, and I am proud
to stand before you tonight to speak about a historic event that took
place here in the Nation's Capitol on August 10, 2024.
This event took place in the Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium, and
it was an event that featured the Prince Hall Freemasons. I am going to
present a proclamation commemorating the historic Prince Hall Slavery
Remembrance Day program with the theme: We are the dream and hope of
the enslaved.
Before going through the proclamation, I would like to say just a few
words about Prince Hall. I think that he is probably one of the most
underrepresented, in the sense of being noted in history, most
underrepresented persons who fought for freedom for the Africans who
are in America and enslaved at the time. This is from PBS.
Prince Hall was a prominent African-American abolitionist and teacher
in Boston's Free Black community during the American Revolution, most
notably known for founding Prince Hall Freemasonry by establishing the
first African Lodge of Masons in the United States, which allowed Black
men to join the Masonic fraternity at a time when they were excluded
from White lodges.
He actively advocated for civil rights and education for African
Americans through his lodge and petitions to the government. The
founder of Black Freemasonry, Hall is considered the founder of Prince
Hall Freemasonry, a branch of Freemasonry specifically for African-
American men, which stemmed from his efforts to establish the African
Lodge No. 1 in Boston.
{time} 2000
As an abolitionist, he was a vocal advocate for the abolition of
slavery and used his platform within the Masonic lodge to promote
social change for the Black community. He petitioned for rights. Hall
was one of the first to use the language of the Declaration of
Independence to petition the Massachusetts legislature for the
emancipation of enslaved people.
There is limited information about his early life. While his exact
date of birth and place are uncertain it is believed that he was born
around 1735 and gained his freedom in Boston.
Let me step aside from the article just to note that he was not born
a free person. He became a free person, and he used his freedom to do
all that he could to liberate others.
Prince Hall is recognized as a significant figure in African-American
history for his efforts to create a space for Black men to organize and
advocate for their rights within a predominantly White society. Hence,
Prince Hall is mentioned on this day because he was the founder of the
organization that cooperated and collaborated with me to have this
Slavery Remembrance Day program with the theme: ``We Are the Dream and
Hope of the Enslaved.''
The theme was chosen because we believed that on the day that we were
there it should have been something very special not just to us but to
all Americans because the very facility that we were in, some portions
of it, this complex as it were, some portions of it were actually built
by enslaved people. As a result we thought that at some point in their
lives some of them dreamed and hoped that as free people, their
ancestors, their descendants, their descendants would walk into the
places that we have an opportunity now to walk in freely, and they
hoped and dreamed that one day there would be enough freedom for us to
advocate for the respect due them that they never received in life.
The dream and hope of the enslaved. I am a part of that dream, and I
am proud to say I am also a Prince Hall Mason. This occurred, as I
indicated, in the United States Capitol, Washington, D.C., on August
10, 2024.
This is the declaration that is a part of the proclamation
commemorating the historic Prince Hall Slavery Remembrance Day program.
``Declared: August 20th annually marks the observance of Slavery
Remembrance Day, dedicated to the memory of those who suffered under
the transatlantic slave trade and to acknowledge the enduring impact of
slavery on our Nation;
``Declared: August 20th serves as a solemn reminder of the historical
injustices of slavery and its lasting effects on the social, economic,
and cultural fabric of the United States and aims to foster reflection,
dialogue, and education to promote healing and reconciliation.
``Declared: The United States Congress, in recognizing the
significance of Slavery Remembrance Day, resolved that it supports the
designation of a `Slavery Remembrance Day' to serve as a reminder of
the evils of slavery, condemns slavery and its evil progenies and
encourages all to acknowledge the importance of slavery remembrance.
``Declared: The Conference of Grand Masters Prince Hall Masons, Inc.
(COGM), under the leadership of president Eugene Anderson, Jr., Vice
President Jeffrey G. Jones, Executive Secretary Emanuel J. Stanley, and
Executive Treasurer Kevin L. Bell, alongside the Sovereign Grand
Commander Southern Jurisdiction Dr. Corey D. Hawkins, Sr., and
Sovereign Grand Commander Northern Jurisdiction, Dr. Melvin J.
Bazemore, the host Grand Master Glenn N. Ruffin and each of the 46
member jurisdictions of the Conference of Grand Masters Prince Hall
Masons, Inc., namely''--and I shall now for the record have each
jurisdiction mentioned--``MWPHGL-Alabama; MWPHGL-Alaska; MWPHGL-
Alberta, Canada; MWPHGL-Arkansas; MWPHGL-Bahamas; MWPHGL-California;
MWPHGL-Caribbean; MWPHGL-Colorado; MWPHGL-Connecticut; MWPHGL-Cote
d'Ivoire; MWPHGL-Delaware; MWPHGL-D.C.; MWUGL-Florida; MWPHGL-Georgia;
MWPHGL-Hawaii; MWPHGL; MWPHGL-Indiana; MWPHGL-Iowa; MWPHGL-Kansas;
MWPHGL-Kentucky; MWPHGL-Liberia; MWPHGL-Maryland; MWPHGL-Massachusetts;
MWPHGL-Michigan; MWPHGL-Minnesota; MWSGL-Mississippi; MWPHGL-Missouri;
MWPHGL-Nebraska; MWPHGL-New Jersey; MWPHGL-New Mexico; MWPHGL-New York;
MWPHGL-Nevada; MWPHGL-North Carolina; MWPHGL-Ohio; MWPHGL-Oklahoma;
MWPHGL-Ontario, Canada; MWPHGL-Oregon; MWPHGL-Pennsylvania; MWPHGL-
Rhode Island; MWPHGL-South Carolina; MWPHGL-Tennessee; MWPHGL-Texas;
MWPHGL-Virginia; MWPHGL-Washington; MWPHGL-West Virginia; MWPHGL-
Wisconsin. . . . `'
These are the jurisdictions referenced in this commemoration
document.
``Declared: The collaboration between the Conference of Grand Masters
Prince Hall Masons, Inc., the United States Supreme Councils, Ancient &
Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern and Northern
Jurisdictions Prince Hall Affiliation (PHA), and Texas Prince Hall
Mason and the progenitor of Slavery Remembrance Day, Congressman Al
Green, in organizing the Historic Prince Hall Slavery Remembrance Day
program underscores the importance of partnership in addressing
historical wrongs and fostering communal unity;
[[Page H5821]]
Proclamations Of Commemoration
``Proclaimed: That the United States House of Representatives, having
recognized August 20th as Slavery Remembrance Day--we the Conference of
Grand Masters Prince Hall Masons, Inc., the United Supreme Councils,
Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Southern and Northern
Jurisdictions Prince Hall Affiliation (PHA), and Progenitor/Congressman
Al Green hereby commemorate the Historic Prince Hall Slavery
Remembrance Day program on this day, August 10, 2024, and reaffirm our
dedication to commemorating the memory of those who suffered under
slavery by; educating future generations, as well as promoting social
justice and equity;
``Faithfully Proclaimed: That this be entered into the Congressional
Record, the archives of the Conference of Grand Masters Prince Hall
Masons, Inc., the United Supreme Council Southern Jurisdiction PHA, the
United Supreme Council Northern Jurisdiction PHA, and each of the 46
member jurisdictions that comprise the Conference of Grand Masters
Prince Hall Masons, Inc., as a testament to the enduring significance
of Slavery Remembrance Day and as a pledge to continue Slavery
Remembrance Day programs annually on or near August 20th in the pursuit
of truth, reconciliation, and equality for all.''
This document is also a part of the archives for my office. I have
concluded that it is important for us to maintain records, something
that has not been done, generally speaking, for African Americans, and
as a result, much of our history has been either lost, ignored, or
simply discounted.
This is important to people of African ancestry. This date, August
20th, is the date that the White Lion docked in the area known as
Norfolk, Virginia, now in 1619 and the White Lion had the first 20
persons of African ancestry that were enslaved in the colonies.
This was a seminal moment in history in the life of this country
because that moment has impacted all of the time since that time up to
this very second in time. But we have not acknowledged properly the
persons who were enslaved. We have not acknowledged them some more than
10 million. Estimates reached as high as 12 million. We have not
acknowledged them for what they did to help develop and build this
country.
{time} 2015
They were the persons who planted the seeds and harvested the crops;
they fed the Nation. They built the roads and bridges, and they helped
to construct the Capitol and the White House. They literally were
sacrificed for some 246 years, but they have not been given the
recognition that many others who have been recognized and not
sacrificed for nearly as long and who have suffered much less but were
still honored.
There will be a day, hopefully within my lifetime, when I will stand
here and say that these economic foundational mothers and fathers of
the country, I say economic foundational mothers and fathers because
literally they gave our country that I love, our country, the United
States of America now, a head start in that it had 246 years of free
labor, saving what it cost to manage and care for the people who were
sacrificed.
I hope that one day in my lifetime I will be able to stand here and
say that our country now recognizes the sacrifices that were made.
In 1956 we recognized the Confederate soldiers with a Congressional
Gold Medal. It just seems to me that if we can recognize Confederate
soldiers with a Congressional Gold Medal, then surely we can recognize
the enslaved. However, not so.
Unfortunately, there are people who prefer not to recall slavery.
They prefer to give it a new title. There are some who would call it
involuntary relocation. It was more than involuntary relocation, Madam
Speaker. It was 246 years of sacrifice.
My desire is to see the day, in fact, I live today to live to see the
day, that my ancestors, who were sacrificed to make America great,
receive a Congressional Gold Medal.
I would hope that we would, by and through the President, present
them with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is something that has
been accorded a good many people. I am not suggesting that we deny
anybody anything that they have received, but I am saying that there
are people who are deserving who have not received similar recognition.
I live today to live to see the day that this will occur.
Finally, I thank the members of the Masonic order for joining with me
to have this first Historic Prince Hall Slavery Remembrance Day program
here in the Nation's Capitol. Next year, we will have the second
historic program, and we hope to continue to do this each year until we
have accomplished the recognition that our ancestors deserve, and then
beyond it, to make sure that future generations will know that the
greatness of America includes people whose lives were sacrificed these
246 years.
I am grateful to the men of the Prince Hall Masonic order. They have
made a pledge to be here next year in the month of August. I have made
a pledge to be with them, and next year we hope to have the auditorium
with standing room only. We believe that we will have at least enough
to fill all the seats and then have the overflow areas consumed as
well.
Our goal in terms of producing this annual event is to eventually
have it in Emancipation Hall. What a wonderful thing, to have Slavery
Remembrance Day in Emancipation Hall. We are not there yet, but the
appeal is being made to have it happen.
So I thank all of the persons who have made this program possible. I
have mentioned the men of the Masonic order, but there were others. The
leadership in the House and the leadership in the Senate have granted
permission for us to have use of the facility. I thank the leadership.
There were persons associated with the technology necessary to produce
the program, I thank them. We had persons there to take photographs so
that we can have within our archives actual representations of who the
people were and how they were dressed in their regalia. The men of the
Masonic order had on their regalia, and then the Eastern Stars were
there as well.
I thank the people who helped us promote the program to get the word
out. It is not easy to get the word out about Slavery Remembrance Day.
It is more difficult than one might think, but there were people who
helped us, and we did have a good representation.
Finally, I am wanting to just say thank you for giving me the
strength to continue with this effort. I thank the creator of all of
creation for the strength I have been given. I plan to use this
strength to my very last breath to bring justice to the some 12 million
people who suffered for 246 years to make America great.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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