[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 13578-13579]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    THE NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND CULTURE ACT

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, just before the Memorial Day recess, the 
distinguished Presiding Officer and I had the great honor of 
introducing bipartisan legislation, S. 1157, to create a National 
Museum of African American History and Culture within the Smithsonian 
Institution.
  We were joined in that effort by 44 of our colleagues, and I might 
point out that another four have joined since that time, bringing the 
total number of cosponsors to this legislation to 48. I presume before 
the day is out we will have a clear majority of our colleagues who 
endorse the legislation introduced by the distinguished Senator from 
Kansas.
  Senator Brownback and I introduced similar legislation in the last 
Congress and I am pleased that we have such strong continuing interest 
from our colleagues, ensuring this important museum be created.
  This long overdue legislation will guarantee that the compelling 
stories and invaluable contributions of African Americans to our Nation 
will finally be shared with all Americans, indeed all peoples of the 
world.
  This legislation also allows us to publicly display the contributions 
of African Americans to the founding of our Nation and educate students 
of all ages about the importance of their experience. This museum is 
not intended to replace the numerous museums and institutions of 
African American culture and history that already exist in our country. 
Instead, it will bring a national focus and prominence to the 
contributions and experiences of African Americans.
  In New Haven, CT, for example, we are fortunate to be the home port 
of the 19th century freedom schooner, Amistad. The recreated Amistad is 
a floating classroom and reminder of the devastating effects of the 
transatlantic slave trade. Amistad America is dedicated to promoting 
the legacies of the Amistad incident of 1839 and to celebrating and 
teaching the historic lessons of perseverance, leadership, justice, and 
freedom experienced by African Americans during that incident, and 
similar ones like it during the centuries before 1839.
  It is my hope, of course, that organizations such as Amistad America 
and numerous others will be able to work with the Smithsonian to ensure 
that these important stories may be told. I am pleased that we have 
been able to provide support for these numerous organizations and 
associations, such as Amistad, in this bill as well.
  During my tenure as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, I was 
pleased to work with colleagues to pass legislation to establish the 
Presidential Commission on the National Museum of African American 
History and Culture action plan.
  In April, the Presidential commission issued its report in which it 
documented the voices of African Americans across the Nation, calling 
for a national place to tell their individually collective stories. 
This long overdue legislation will provide such a place, and I commend 
the distinguished Presiding Officer for his leadership on this issue.
  The mission statement contained in that report sums up the purpose of 
this legislation:

       This museum will give voice to the centrality of the 
     African American experience and will make it possible for all 
     people to understand the depth, complexity, and promise of 
     the American experience.

  It is that very goal, of completing the American story of our quest 
for freedom and truth by publicly incorporating the experience and 
contribution of African Americans, that is the essence of this 
legislation. This museum offers the promise and the hope that all 
Americans can come to understand the full story of how this Nation was 
formed. It is past time that we publicly acknowledge and incorporate 
the African Americans' experience into our collective identity and this 
museum will provide the appropriate means for accomplishing that very 
goal.
  Again, I congratulate my colleague, Senator Brownback, and I want to 
specifically highlight the tremendous contribution of Representative 
John Lewis

[[Page 13579]]

of Georgia, who is the lead sponsor in the House of Representatives for 
this bill, on their perseverance in this matter. I am honored today to 
join them as their lead sponsor on this side of the aisle.
  I see my colleague from Mississippi, who I know has some comments he 
wants to make on this as well. I thank him for his leadership. As the 
chairman of the Rules Committee, he will have a lot to say about how 
this bill moves through the committee and comes to the floor.
  My congratulations to the Presiding Officer from Kansas and all 
others who have joined with us in this collective effort this morning.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from the great State of 
Mississippi.
  Mr. LOTT. I yield myself 5 minutes of the time reserved for the 
Senator from Kansas, Mr. Brownback.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleagues today in 
cosponsoring and supporting the introduction of legislation to create 
the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I 
particularly want to commend Senator Brownback, the Presiding Officer 
this morning, for his leadership on this issue. This legislation could 
not be introduced today in a way that it can be considered and acted 
upon without his willingness to stay behind it, to work through some of 
the problems that did exist and to work with the Rules Committee and 
our staff to make sure we had legislation that could have broad-based 
support and could actually be passed by the Senate.
  I am pleased to see my colleague from the Rules Committee, the 
ranking member, Senator Dodd, as a cosponsor, as well as Senator Frist, 
Senator Stevens, Senator Santorum, Senator Smith, and Senator Daschle. 
Obviously, leadership on both sides of the aisle has decided to join in 
sponsoring this truly historic legislation.
  The National Museum of African American History and Culture will be 
built and operated within the Smithsonian Institution and be a full-
fledged Smithsonian Museum. That is a critical point to be made. It 
gives additional stature, credibility, and supervision that will be 
very helpful in the years ahead as we try to make sure this museum 
exhibits the way it should and is fully utilized by the American people 
and supported by the Congress.
  I rise to express my support for the legislation because this museum 
will showcase not only the history and the culture of African American 
experience, but it will serve as a vivid display of the countless 
contributions that African Americans have made to the United States and 
in fact to the world.
  Back in 2001, I had an unusual experience. It was one of those rare 
weekends when I stayed in Washington and my family, including my wife, 
were all back home in Mississippi. So I took a bicycle ride down the 
Mall and I wound up at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I parked my 
bicycle across the way kind of in the edge of the bushes and just 
watched people. I do not know what really started me to doing that, but 
I guess I was struck, as I pulled up, at the number of people there and 
how they were relating to this memorial. They touched it. They shed 
tears there. They stood there. It was obviously a moving and spiritual 
experience, a connecting experience, maybe an experience of closure for 
some people. It struck me what an important monument and memorial that 
site is.
  Later on that same week, I was meeting with a group of African 
American business leaders and we ended up talking about how to properly 
and adequately recognize the contributions of African Americans and 
their role in shaping American history. I conveyed to them the story of 
my experience at the Vietnam Memorial and how it seemed to positively 
affect the people that came there, and that it caused me to recognize 
that every American needs a monument, a memorial, that is sort of 
theirs that reflects their heritage. It could be of all kinds of 
backgrounds in America. We have talked about the need for the Native 
American monument somewhere in this city to honor what they have 
contributed to this country. So I believe the creation of this museum 
will go a long way toward a similar type healing process for African 
Americans, and I am honored to be a part of it.
  The Smithsonian is no doubt one of the world's leaders in preserving, 
displaying, and telling the story of the American experience. Often 
called the ``Nation's Attic,'' the Smithsonian houses the great 
collections of the United States and educates the public on our rich 
history and the importance of ensuring that knowledge passes from one 
generation to the next.
  However, our national attic currently has some voids and we should 
work to fill those voids in a very careful, thoughtful, and responsible 
way. Having this museum is one of those voids that needs to be 
addressed.
  Last year, a Presidential commission was appointed to study the 
possibility of creating a museum dedicated to African American history 
and culture. The commission spent thousands of hours researching the 
possibilities of bringing this museum to light. The commission held 
dozens of forums and meetings across America and received feedback from 
a broad spectrum of citizens and leaders within the African American 
and other communities. These forums and discussions were thoughtful, 
calculated, and complete. The feedback was resoundingly clear--a 
national museum is the proper vehicle for showcasing and telling the 
world about the African American experience. I could not agree more.
  I am delighted to join in sponsoring this legislation. The history 
and culture of African-American life in this country is a very 
important part of the history of our culture and all that is America. 
Its story needs to be included in the sacred places in this city.
  I commend Senator Brownback for his leadership. I am glad to join in 
a bipartisan effort to get this legislation approved.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Murkowski). The minority leader.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I add my voice to those of Senator Lott 
and Senator Dodd and others in expressing my support and commendation 
to the Presiding Officer for his leadership, as well as to Senator Dodd 
and Senator Lott, Senator Santorum, Senator Stevens, and others who 
have taken the initiative to show such leadership on this very 
important project.
  If I could think of one word as I consider the prospect of the 
National Museum of African American History and Culture, it would be 
``overdue.'' It is overdue. It is long past due. I hope on a bipartisan 
basis we continue to demonstrate our recognition of the remarkable 
contributions of African American culture and African American 
leadership to our country. One cannot understand the story of America 
without understanding the story of African Americans.
  I hope we continue to work to move this project along. Again, I 
commend those directly involved.

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