[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 8] [House] [Pages 10829-10835] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]COMMEMORATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ABOLITION OF THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 272) commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the resolution. The text of the resolution is as follows: H. Res. 272 Whereas the United Kingdom outlawed the African slave trade in 1807 by passing the Slave Trade Abolition Act which recognized that ``the African Slave Trade, and all manner of dealing and trading in the Purchase, Sale, Barter, or Transfer of Slaves, or of Persons intended to be sold, transferred, used, or dealt with as Slaves, practiced or carried on, in, at, to or from any Part of the Coast or Countries of Africa, shall be, and the same is hereby utterly abolished, prohibited, and declared to be unlawful''; Whereas the transatlantic slave trade entailed the kidnapping, purchase and commercial export of Africans, mostly from West and Central Africa, to the European colonies and new nations in the Americas, including the United States, where they were enslaved in forced labor between the 15th and late 19th centuries; Whereas the term ``Middle Passage'' refers to the horrific part of the transatlantic slave trade when millions of Africans where chained together and stowed by the hundreds in overcrowded ships where they were forced into small spaces for months without relief as they were transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas; Whereas historians claim that it is not possible to give an accurate number of slaves imported to the Americas from Africa, but scholars estimate that, at minimum, between 10,000,000 and 15,000,000 Africans survived the Middle Passage, were imported as chattel through customs houses and ports across the Americas, and were sold into slavery; Whereas historians agree that many slaves arrived in the Americas ill with infections and diseases, disabled from the iron chains that bound them or from the physical abuse they endured, or traumatized by rape; Whereas historians estimate that 10 to 50 percent of the Africans who were shipped from the continent perished during the Middle Passage as a result of physical abuses, torture, malnutrition, disease, infection, suicide or repercussions from their resistance to their bondage; Whereas Africans' resistance to the transatlantic slave trade culminated in revolts--collective acts of rebellion-- against slave ships and their crews during the Middle Passage, and rebellions against slavery occurred frequently on colonial and post-colonial plantations throughout the Americas; Whereas historians estimate that 1,200,000 men, women, and children were later separated from their families and displaced from their communities by being sold to slaveholders in other regions, colonies, States, and nations in the inter-American and domestic slave trade that took place through much of the 19th century; Whereas the transatlantic slave trade is commonly recognized by historians as the largest forced migration in world history; Whereas, as a result of the slave trade, an estimated 80,000,000 to 150,000,000 persons of African descent live in Latin America and the Caribbean, making them the largest population of persons of African descent outside of Africa; Whereas the institution of slavery, which enslaved Africans, their progeny and later generations for life, was legally sanctioned by the colonial governments and later the nations and States engaged in slavery, including the Government of the United States, through most of the 19th century; Whereas slavery in the United States, during and after British colonial rule, included the sale and acquisition of Africans and African Americans as chattel property in interstate and intrastate commerce; Whereas enslaved Africans and African Americans were defined as property that passed to heirs under inheritance laws of the British colonial rule and later under the laws of the various States; Whereas enslaved Africans adapted to their environment and created a new, rich culture that marked the development of the African American community and continues to strongly impact culture and society in the United States today; Whereas the slavery that flourished in the United States constituted an immoral and inhumane dispossession of human life, liberty, and citizenship rights and denied Africans and African Americans the fruits of their own labor; Whereas the treatment of enslaved Africans and African Americans in the colonies and the United States included the deprivation of their freedom, exploitation of their labor, psychological and physical abuse, separation of families, and the targeted efforts to repress their culture, language, and religion through legal and social restrictive measures; Whereas enslavement has been defined as a crime against humanity pursuant to the Nuremberg Charter (Agreement for the Prosecution and Punishment of the Major War Criminals of the European Axis, entered into force on August 8, 1945 (82 U.N.T.S. 279)), and subsequent international tribunals for war crimes; Whereas the United Nations has adopted various treaties, declarations, and conventions and hosted conferences that condemn slavery and the slave trade, including the transatlantic slave trade, and has acknowledged that such acts were barbaric in their nature and were appalling tragedies; Whereas the slave trade and the legacy of slavery continue to have a profound impact on social and economic disparity, hatred, bias, racism, and discrimination, and continue to affect people of African descent throughout the Americas today; and Whereas March 25, 2007, marked the 200th anniversary of the Slave Trade Abolition Act enacted by the British Parliament: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) recognizes the historical significance of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade to the people of the United States and to the world; (2) respects the memory of those who died as a result of slavery, including through exposure to the horrors of the Middle Passage and in revolt against, and resistance to, enslavement; (3) supports the preservation of historical records and documents in private collections, local and State governments, shipping ports, and corporations in the United States and throughout the Americas relating to the transatlantic slave trade and the centuries of slavery that followed; and (4) urges increased education of current and future generations about slavery and its vestiges by honoring their significance in United States history and the history of other nations of the Americas with appropriate research, scholarship, curriculum, textbooks, museum exhibits and programs, library resources and programs, and cultural programs and activities. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey. General Leave Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New Jersey? There was no objection. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself as much time as I may consume. I would like to first commend our distinguished colleague and former member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ms. Lee of California, for introducing this very important resolution. I am honored and humbled to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of transatlantic slave trade with this resolution, for its legacy continues to reflect the racial biases and socioeconomic disparities that still exist in this country and throughout the Americas. As we consistently admonish the prevalence of modern-day slavery worldwide, because it still exists in some parts of the world, it would be hypocritical if we did not acknowledge the history of transatlantic slave trade which existed for so long in this country, and therefore it is appropriate that we speak about it at this time, its 200th anniversary. For over 300 years the United Kingdom and other European countries kidnapped and sold millions of Africans into slavery. The transatlantic slave trade is known as the largest forced migration in the history of the world. Estimates range from 25 to 50 million Africans were forcibly brought to the United States, the Caribbean, Central and South America and to Europe. Sharks migratory patterns were changed because these predators followed the ships in the Middle Passage because when a slave died they were thrown overboard, or if they were killed because they were protesting, or if they committed suicide, the sharks knew that they could follow the ships, and it changed the migratory patterns of sharks during this period of time. [[Page 10830]] African labor was an essential feature of economic development in Europe and her former colonies, including the United States. All of the nations involved flourished economically as a result of slave labor. The fact that slavery was not abolished in the United States until Abraham Lincoln declared to end slavery in the Confederacy in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation. However, slavery was really not abolished in the Union. Interestingly enough, in my State of New Jersey, slavery continued until 1866. In New Jersey, a mother, a woman could become free at the age of 21, and a man at the age of 25, but their children had to continue in slavery. And so the emancipation only freed slaves in the Confederacy, and did not free slaves in the Union. And so, as I have indicated in New Jersey, there were still slaves a year after the end of the Civil War in 1866. The dignity of our Nation demands our recognition of this tragic part of American history. I extend my highest respect and appreciation for the contributions and struggles of African Americans to create an equitable and just society from which we all benefit today. I strongly support this resolution, and urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, thank you for bringing up this important resolution to this floor today. And I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 272, which recognizes the historical significance of the abolition of transatlantic slave trade. It respects the memory of those who perished as a result of slavery. It supports preservation of related historical documents, and it urges greater education about this sad period in history for both current and future generations. {time} 1430 While addressing the Community of Democracies' opening plenary in Chile on April 29, 2005, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated: ``We at the Community of Democracies must use the power of our shared ideals to accelerate democracy's movement to ever more places around the globe. We must usher in an era of democracy that thinks of tyranny as we thought of slavery today: a moral abomination that could not withstand the natural desire of every human being for a life of liberty and of dignity.'' While Secretary Rice's remarks were specifically on the promotion of democracy around the world, she reminded us of a very unsettling fact. Even 200 years after the abolition of the slave trade in the United Kingdom and nearly 145 years after the Emancipation Proclamation in our United States, slavery still exists in the modern world. It exists through tyranny. It exists through oppression. It exists where human rights and freedom are systematically repressed. Secretary Rice's statement serves as a call to action for those of us who would seek to break the shackles of tyranny and promote human dignity around the world. I appreciate the bipartisan fashion by which we have sought to heed the Secretary's call and to recognize the significance of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, as evidenced by our consideration today of both this resolution by the Congresswoman from California (Ms. Lee) and House Resolution 158, offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts). Collectively, these resolutions remind us of the courage and the fortitude of those who came before us to fight the scourge of slavery, while helping us come to terms with our own shameful past. I believe that there would be no better way to respect the memory of those forced to suffer under the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, or to honor those who dedicated themselves to its abolition, than to stand together today in a bipartisan fashion and publicly recommit ourselves to the eradication of slavery and the promotion of human rights around the world. Madam Speaker, I again thank you for bringing this important resolution to the floor. Madam Speaker, because I know that the gentleman from New Jersey and the gentlewoman from California have many speakers on their side, except for the 2 minutes that I would like to yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) to comment on this important resolution, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control that time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from New Jersey will control the balance of the time except for 2 minutes. There was no objection. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her generosity. Madam Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 7 minutes to the sponsor of the resolution, Representative Barbara Lee from the Ninth District of California, member of the Committee on Appropriations. Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding and for your leadership, Mr. Payne, in making sure that this resolution came to the floor today in a bipartisan way and also for making sure that the history of African Americans, which, of course, started during the Middle Passages, is told not only here on the floor of Congress but in our public schools. So thank you very much. Let me thank our ranking member, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and also Mr. Lantos for their leadership and for their assistance. And let me take a moment to acknowledge our staff, because they have worked very diligently. And not only do they work for us. They really do believe in what we are doing, Madam Speaker: Kristin Wells, Pearl Alice Marsh, Joan Condon, Genora Reed, and Ven Neralla from my office. They have done remarkable work in a bipartisan fashion to get this resolution to the floor. This resolution, Madam Speaker, H. Res. 272, commemorates a very somber and very serious occasion, the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade by the United Kingdom. Two hundred years ago on March 25 in 1807, Great Britain abolished the transatlantic slave trade in England and its colonies. This act began a worldwide revolt against the trade of human beings by other European nations. This is a very important milestone because it represents the beginning of the end of one of the most deplorable, deplorable chapters in human history. Madam Speaker, on several occasions, like many of my colleagues, I have had the overwhelmingly heart-wrenching, and I mean heart- wrenching, experience of traveling to the areas from where slaves were captured and put on ships for that deadly passage to America from Africa. And this is called, of course, the Middle Passage. One of my most distinct memories was standing on several occasions at the ``doors of no return'' in Ghana and in Senegal. Every slave castle has such a door. This door represents so many things to me. At this door my ancestors stood on the shores of their homeland for the last time in their lives. At this door a fate awaited them that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. And over 400 years later, there I was standing in the doors as one of their descendants who survived and returned. Standing in front of those doors, it is really impossible for me to ignore the fact that those who walked chained through those doors laid the foundation of many modern nations that have a colonial past, including the United States of America. The slave trade was vital to England and other European colonial powers. It provided the basis for modern capitalism to take root, generating immense wealth for business enterprises in colonial America and Europe. In many ways the industrial strength of our Nation was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of African American free labor. Free labor. Today, this great country of ours, the United States of America, reaps the fruits of [[Page 10831]] labor of these enslaved Africans, and we cannot forget that. However, in spite of the considerable riches enslaved Africans created for others, what the slave trade also represented was really the lowest expression of humanity, and I mean the lowest expression. Captured Africans were subjected to the worst forms of cruelty and inhumanity. Millions were crammed in the hulls of slave ships like sardines in a can. The stench of filth and death reeked from the ships. Disease ran rampant through the ships. Traders used any means of violence to subdue insurrection, including torture, mutilations, and rape. The death rate during transport would reach as high as 50 percent. The world will never know really the exact number of enslaved Africans transported to America, but it is estimated that between 10 to 15 million were brought here to the United States, making it the largest forced migration in history. Given its immense significance, it is unfortunate that the transatlantic slave trade is a subject only briefly discussed in our Nation's classrooms, and the study of the transatlantic slave trade really, if you ask me, should be a requirement for all of our public schools. It is essential that we acknowledge how slavery created attitudes of racism that persist in our society today. Sadly, the legacy of the slave trade and slavery are with us to this day. Just consider these facts: nearly one quarter of African Americans in the United States live in poverty. African Americans have one of the highest unemployment rates at 9.6 percent, and of the 46 million who lack health insurance, about 20 percent are African American and many of these are children. Slavery may be over, at least legalized slavery may be over, but in many ways the vestiges remain. That is why, Madam Speaker, it is important that we are considering this resolution today. We must honor the memory and the legacy and the courage of those who died in slavery and those who worked to end it. But at the same time, we must use this occasion to recommit ourselves to eliminating the disparities that exist in our society. We must not let their sacrifices be in vain. Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I would like to claim my 2 minutes, and then I will yield to my colleague. First of all, let me just say that this is a very important resolution. I don't think many people in America really understand or remember all of the horrible things that occurred during the slave trading that took place in the past. There is a movie out right now that talks about the slave trade and how horrible it was. It is called ``Amazing Grace.'' And I don't tout movies very much, but I would submit to all of my colleagues they ought to go see that movie. It is about William Wilberforce, who has been a hero of mine for a long time since I was a State legislator, and he led the fight in England to abolish slave trading; and it took him, I think, 18 years to get it done. But he was a real crusader for the rights of man and for the ending of slave trading. So I would say to my colleague, Ms. Lee, I think this is a great bill you introduced. I whole heartedly support it, and I hope everybody in this House will. And as I said before, we ought to remember the horrible fight, the great fight that took place in ending slavery in England and in subsequent years. So this is a great resolution. I really appreciate your bringing it forward. And I hope everybody will remember William Wilberforce and the fight he made to end slavery and slave trading in England. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New Jersey will control the remainder of the time, and there are 23\1/2\ minutes remaining in this debate. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, let me say thanks to Mr. Payne and Ms. Lee for bringing this forth. I rise today in support of this resolution to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. This anniversary marks a significant moment in not only American history but the history of the world. For 300 years the transatlantic slave trade represented one of the most horrific periods in the history of human events. During this time, 12 million Africans were captured and brought to America as slaves. Millions more did not survive this horrific trip overseas, which could have lasted as long as 3 months. These individuals forcibly gave their lives and freedom to build the economic future of America, which includes this Capitol. While nothing can replace lives or freedom, it is important to acknowledge that the consequences of slavery still exist. While 200 years may have passed since the end of the transatlantic slave trade, the legacy of racism still persists. Today we take a step forward in healing those wounds by recognizing the past and acknowledging the impact it still has on our Nation. I would like to thank Representative Lee for writing this and bringing it forth. Because all too often, we think nobody remembers but us, those who still suffer from this horrific period in our history. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina, Representative G. K. Butterfield, the vice chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I also want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey, my friend Congressman Donald Payne, for his tireless efforts on behalf of the continent of Africa and other related issues. I also want to thank the gentlewoman from California for her work on this resolution. And, hopefully, we will pass this resolution and move forward with greater work of this Congress. Madam Speaker, this Nation has yet to fully come to terms with and recognize the institution of slavery that existed in this country for so long. Slavery is perhaps the most underrecognized crime against humanity in the history of the world. Madam Speaker, I am often asked about my light complexion. Some people do it out of curiosity and it does not offend me, but I am often asked about my complexion. It is a fact that I am indeed an African American. My great-grandmother was a slave. {time} 1445 And my great grandfather was the slave master. And my situation is not unique. The enslavement of millions of people who were taken from the west coast of Africa still affects millions of Americans today. I represent the First Congressional District of North Carolina. My area of the country was one of the destinations of the slave trade. My congressional district today suffers from the effects from slavery. My constituents, half of whom are African American, suffer from disparities across the spectrum. I can trace directly these conditions to the fact that their foreparents were legally denied citizenship and the benefits of citizenship. Even after slavery ended, the United States continued to disrespect black citizens and forced them to endure inferior schools, health care, income and the like. In my hometown of Wilson, North Carolina, my mother did not have access to a public education beyond the sixth grade. Had she lived in the rural area of my county, she would not have had the benefit of any education, save only a token opportunity offered by black churches. When my mother left the sixth grade, she was given an opportunity to move to another city to get an education, and it made a difference. She returned to our home community and became a teacher for 48 years and instilled in my generation the importance of education. There were hundreds of thousands who were denied educational opportunities, and their descendants today continue to suffer. [[Page 10832]] Madam Speaker, we have a tremendous responsibility as a Nation to remedy past wrongs. This resolution commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade is a step in the right direction. We must do more. Poverty is pervasive. This Congress must set the tone and begin the process of healing and remedy the cruelty of slavery and racial discrimination. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from the 11th District of New York, Representative Yvette Clarke, a member of the Commerce and Small Business Committee. Ms. CLARKE. Thank you very much to Representative Payne and to the gentlelady from California. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 272, a resolution commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. The abolition of the trade was an important milestone in the fight against slavery, but that campaign continued throughout the 19th century and it still continues today. Currently, 27 million people are held in slavery around the world. Like the slaves of the past, slaves of today are controlled by violence, and suffer the theft of their labor and humanity. Our commemoration today rings hollow if we do not learn from the lessons of the abolition movement of the past. That botched emancipation of 1865 forced four million ex-slaves into the economic social society with no access to education, political participation or equal citizenship, nor a true recognition of their humanity. As I reflect on my own history as a descendant of African slaves who were survivors of the Middle Passage, my ancestors, kidnapped, brutalized and brought to the island Nation of Jamaica West Indies where centuries later my parents were born, who then migrated as subjects of the Queen to Brooklyn, New York, where I was born. The history of Africans in the Americas has been suppressed as evidenced by the lack of presence in our school's curriculums. Today, we see the results of granting freedom without dignity. People of African descent still face economic inequality, social inequality and racism. Slavery can be brought to an end within our lifetime. Madam Speaker, it is my prayer that someday soon this body will be celebrating of the global eradication of slavery. And in the spirit of the liberation and suffrage of my ancestors, the Civil Rights movement, human rights for every man, woman and child will be recognized. The liberty and the dreams of all will be attained through their collective will will not go unnoticed. We are not going to achieve true liberty unless and until we all embrace our collective and diverse humanity together. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the Seventh District of Illinois, chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia, Representative Danny K. Davis. Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 272, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. I also rise in honor of my forefathers and foremothers who were captured through raids and kidnappings, sold to Europeans and subjugated to four and a half centuries of the transatlantic slave trade. The transatlantic slave trade is sometimes called ``Maafa,'' meaning ``holocaust'' or ``great disaster'' in Kiswahili by African and African American scholars because it resulted in a vast loss of life for African captives both in Africa and in America. It is believed that 50 percent of African deaths, 10 million, occurred in Africa as a result of wars between native tribes. 4.5 percent, around 900,000 deaths, occurred in large forts called factories. Around 2.5 million Africans died during voyages through the infamous Middle Passage, where they were packed into tight, unsanitary spaces on ships for months at a time. While estimates of the number of slaves brought to North America vary from a few hundred thousand to a few million, the slave population in the United States had grown to 4 million by the 1860s. From the latter 18th century, and possibly before that even, until the Civil War, the rate of natural growth of North American slaves was much greater than the population of any nation in Europe and was nearly twice as rapid as that in Europe. In North America, the treatment of slaves was very harsh and inhumane. Whether laboring or walking about in public, slaves were regulated by legally authorized violence. On large plantations, slave overseers were authorized to whip and brutalize noncompliant slaves. Significantly, slave codes authorized, indemnified or even required the use of violence and were denounced by abolitionists for their brutality. In the present phase of society, we must recognize the historical significance of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade to the world. More broadly, respect the memories of those who gave their lives in the fight for freedom, and make sure that no generations yet to come will ever experience this kind of inhumane brutality. And so I commend Representative Lee for introducing this resolution, commend Representative Payne for his tremendous leadership in human rights. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the Representative from the Sixth District of California, Representative Lynn Woolsey. Ms. WOOLSEY. I want to thank Chairman Payne and Congressman Barbara Lee for bringing this important issue before us today. Madam Speaker, I rise as a cosponsor and in support of H. Res. 272, which celebrates the end of what was one of the most horrific and immoral human rights abuses in history, slavery. The slave trade must be remembered. It has to be remembered for its brutality, for its inhumane cruelty, and for the injustices that it caused millions of families. I say families, because for every one of the more than 12 million Africans forced from his or her homeland, subjected to the Middle Passage, that terrifying journey on slave ships, overwhelmed by disease and left in famine, every one of those folks left a family behind in grief or they were separated by slave traders. These human beings taken from their homeland and stripped of their freedom suffered more than a loss of their humanity and of their families, however; many times they lost their very culture, their language, their religion and their true homeland. It is important to remember that many of those captured in the slave trade did not survive the journey. Indeed, for every 100 slaves who reached the new world, another 40 died in Africa or during the Middle Passage. This resolution, H.R. 272, is important because it recognizes the injustices of the transatlantic slave trade and the historical significance of its abolition. In order to come to terms with slavery and the impression of black Americans in our past, it is also important that we acknowledge not only the historical events of the slave trade and of slavery, but also its legacy, its lasting effects on the lives of every single American. We see even today the long-term consequences of slavery in the persistent inqualities between black and white Americans, the economic disparities, poverty rates, and the discrimination that still lives in our country today. Educating and teaching future generations about the historical wrongs of the slave trade can help because it could help prevent such crimes against humanity in the future, but it will also identify many forms of slavery that still exist, forms that we pretend aren't there. So I urge my colleagues, support H.R. 272. Mr. PAYNE. I yield 3 minutes to the gentlelady from the 18th District of Texas, Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee, chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation, Security and Infrastructure Protection. Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the distinguished gentleman [[Page 10833]] from New Jersey, the chairman of the Africa Subcommittee on the Foreign Affairs Committee. I thank the author and sponsor of this legislation, it is historic. And certainly, I thank the ranking member of the full committee for her leadership and presence here on the floor today and our full committee Chair. This is a day that really emphasizes the long and diverse history of this Nation. It is a day that I hope that members of this body will unanimously pass this legislation, H. Res. 272. Certainly, the historic aspect of it has already been noted, some 10 million to 15 million Africans were transported as slaves across the Atlantic. It does not, however, add all of the history when you look at the broadness of this question of slavery and America. What it really did to America was carve out this issue of race. And Judge Higgenbotham made it very clear as he rendered decisions on segregation and separation, that in this Nation, race matters. This historical perspective now puts all of this horrible legacy in place, and it does so as America. It does so, it speaks to America about the horribleness of the slave trade. It adds that this was not a very positive part of America's history, but it is part of America's history. It does so in the backdrop of the commemoration of the 400th year of Jamestown, 1607. And the first slaves that came over were actually from Angola. The person who fought against the slaves who were being taken was a woman warrior of the tribes in that part. Just a few weeks ago, I saw the reenactment or the refilming, if you will, or the reshowing of Roots, the Alex Haley Roots, on TV1, interestingly enough, a station and a company owned by an African American woman. And it brought home again the fierceness of slavery, the violence of slavery, and in fact, that these slaves were taken and violated and abused. And those that came over and made it here were infected with disease, they were suffering from rape and they had been brutalized. {time} 1500 This is an important statement. But a more important statement is the vestiges of slavery, and I am glad to have joined the Honorable Congresswoman Barbara Lee and a number of others who went to South Africa to the Conference on Racism, organized by the United Nations in 2001. That was a very, very important effort, and I am glad that Members of Congress did not accept the administration's rejection of going to that conference. It was vital for us to be there. It was a vital part of the healing process, because it had to do with racism around the world. In fact, we know today that slavery still exists around the world. So as we stand here today, we acknowledge the horribleness of the slave history of this country, but we also condemn slavery that exists today around the world, in parts of Asia, in parts of Africa, in parts of South and Central America, in parts of all aspects of the world, possibly even in Europe, where people are held against their will. But the United Nations conference was to speak to the issue of stamping out the vestiges of slavery, so that we could do it in unity, so that we could respect each other for our dignity and for where we have come from, our religious difference, our racial difference, even our regional and country differences. That is why this resolution is so important, because it says to the world that the United States House of Representatives accepts and acknowledges the wrongness of slavery, but we are going forward. We also recognize the vestiges of slavery, and we must go forward to end that separation on the basis of race. We must be able to say that race matters in a positive way. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 272, commemorating the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. When slavery was introduced into the European colonies in 1619, the dark days that followed ignited the faith and hope of our ancestors that one day their descendants would live in freedom and helped them bear the unbearable burden of bondage. For over 300 years, the United Kingdom and other European countries kidnapped and sold millions of Africans into slavery; contemporary historians estimate that between 9.4 and 12 million Africans arrived in the new world. Although on March 25, 1807, the United Kingdom outlawed the African Slave trade by passing the Slave Trade Abolition Act, the road to freedom was a perilous one, and without Abolitionist movements, protests, and opposition, would not have been realized. Madam Speaker, it is important to commemorate this occasion so that the world will not quickly forget the incorrigible injustices African- Americans suffered as slaves and the humiliation and degradation they bore when they were taken and adjudged to be real estate, the same category as livestock, household furniture, wagons and goods. Although slavery was long, vicious and arduous, African slaves were instrumental in the economic development of this Nation and allowed Europe and the United States of America to be built. Slaves were the foundation of the country--today we recognize the end of this heinous trade of human cargo. It was from the institutional slave trade of Africans that the strong African-American people who have survived despite racism and second class citizenship emerged in the United States. As we condemn the atrocities, human rights abuses, and modern-day slavery worldwide, it would be hypocritical if we did not acknowledge the history of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery that existed not long ago in our country. The end of slavery did not come to pass until 1865, when the United States ratified the 13th amendment to the constitution. But the fight for equality against injustices, though easier today, still carries on. The consequences of the slave trade have been profound and the scars that it produced still have not healed. The most serious legacy is the endurance of racism in various forms that keep changing, but do not seem to dissipate. Madam Speaker, we are committed to overcoming this legacy and assuring a just world society. The dignity of African-Americans demands recognition of the tragic history of the slavery era. It is for that reason that I rise in strong support of H. Res. 272, commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. I urge all members to do likewise. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Solis), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Ms. SOLIS. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman of our subcommittee, and I stand in strong support of House Resolution 272. As the daughter of immigrants, I understand very clearly what it means when individuals are brought to a country either of their own free will or against their will. In the case of Latin American immigrants coming to this country, many fled because of poverty and injustices, sometimes civil wars. In the case of our brothers and sisters from Africa, many were brought here as slaves and were indentured and never were paid for the hard work that they provided. In fact, a large number, hundreds of thousands, reside in the Caribbean and in Latin America. We are also descendants of those individuals, and we should proudly proclaim that we not forget that part of our history and that it go down and be noted and that we do everything in our power to help educate future generations about the injustices that exist, existed, and continue to exist in this country now. Whether it be forced slave labor in our sweatshops or whether it be the maquiladoras in Mexico or Central America, there are many people who are still suffering from enslavement. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from the 13th District of Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick), the chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus and a member of the Appropriations Committee. Ms. KILPATRICK. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I also want to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Barbara Lee from the great State of California, for offering this resolution, House Resolution 272, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the end of the transcontinental slave trade for our country. Awesome that it is, we thank the President who signed that proclamation and that we began to work as one country with many ethnicities in our country. Slavery is a cruel, unusual, inhumane treatment. Many of us just returned from overseas and were in the [[Page 10834]] slave dungeons, and to see the inhumane treatment that many of our ancestors felt then and some vestiges of it today is awesome. But we are still here. We are still here running businesses, contributing to America. We are still here attending universities and in the Halls of this Congress of the United States of America. We have much work to do, 200 years, and we hope thousands of years from now, because, you see, Africans brought the gifts of civilization, religion and science to the world, documented in anthropological studies, the first man. So it's unfortunate but it's past, chattel slavery, but we have much work to do. We need better schools. We have got to be the best that we can be, first class, no exceptions, and we accept that responsibility. To my young sisters and brothers across this Nation of all ethnic persuasions, rise up and be the very best that you can be. Never let anyone take the intellect, the intelligence or the mastery that God has given you to be the very best. Slavery is an abominable crime that we must never have again for any race of people, and in vestiges around the world, we see pockets of it. But we rise today to support House Resolution 272, and to ask as Americans and people of the world that we build together a stronger America, where people have access to quality education that helps us to compete with the Chinas and the Taiwans and the Indias of the world, that we rise as a Nation of Americans and that we never again forget that all people are created by one God known by many names. So I stand here as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, one of 435 Members of this Congress, one of 43 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, to say to America, we are still the best country in the world. We still have a lot to achieve, and as we improve our schools, as we invest our moneys, this $3 trillion budget that we have in this country, make sure that this Congress, this administration, the people rise up to have a fair immigration policy, to have fair schools that are funded, that are technologically sound to compete. And we pledge to you as African Americans, we will produce young people and others who are rising up, owning their own businesses, doing what we need to do to do our part so that our children know that we are the best, we intend to be the best, and we want the doors of opportunity to stay open so that access will be there. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me thank the gentlelady from California once again. As she said, we hope that the history will be integrated into our textbooks. In New Jersey, I am proud to say, William Payne, assemblyman, passed Amistad legislation that will integrate the history of African Americans in the history of New Jersey. Our current Member of Congress, Albio Sires, was the Speaker of the Assembly when that great legislation was brought through with his assistance. When we read about Patrick Henry, who said, ``Give me liberty or give me death,'' or Nathan Hale, who said ``I regret that I only have one life to give for my country,'' we will read about Crispus Attucks, the first person killed in the Revolutionary War on March 3, 1770. We will read about Peter Salem and Salem Poor at the Battle of Bunker Hill, that fired the shot. They said, ``Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.'' They killed Major Pitcairn, who led the Boston Massacre. When we hear about the Civil War, 50 percent of the Navy were African Americans, once Frederick Douglass convinced President Lincoln to allow them. In the Spanish-American War, as I conclude, we hear about the Rough Riders of Teddy Roosevelt, but it was the Buffalo Soldiers at the Battle of San Juan Hill that saved the Rough Riders of Teddy Roosevelt from annihilation, which has been kept from our history. I could go on and on, but since the time has expired, at another time I will hope to be able to get through World War I and World War II and to the present time. Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 272, a resolution offered by my fellow Californian Representative Barbara Lee to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the elimination of the transatlantic slave trade. I commend my colleague for introducing the resolution and I am proud to be a co-sponsor. As Chair and Founder of the Congressional Ethiopian American Caucus, I am particularly interested in the history of the African Diaspora. My experience has taught me that the history of the Diaspora is as complex and divergent as the communities themselves. Our challenge is to educate ourselves about the Diaspora and to understand how African Americans embrace and explore their heritage. To tell the story of African immigration to the United States, we have a moral and cultural obligation to acknowledge the transatlantic slave trade. Today, the House is recognizing an important milestone in world history by considering H. Res. 272, Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. On March 25, 1807, the transatlantic slave trade was abolished by the British Parliament, and the United States Government followed suit a year later. The transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced migration in the world history, and it accounted for nearly 12,000,000 people transported in bondage from their African homelands to the Americas. On this day, we pay our respects to those who died as a result of slavery, including through exposure to the horrors of the Middle Passage and in resistance to enslavement. As the resolution notes, the slave trade and its legacy continue to have a profound impact on social and economic disparity, racism and discrimination, and continue to affect people of African descent today. As a Nation we must move beyond telling the story about this crime against humanity, to empowering current and future generations to take action against the political and economic structures that impede our social progress. I look forward to working with my colleagues to develop policies that will repair the damage that resulted from the devastating practice of transatlantic slave trade, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution commemorating its abolition. Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today in support of H. Res. 272, drafted by my colleague Representative Barbara Lee from California. I would like to thank her for her leadership on this issue in recognition of this important part of our shared history. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the end of the transatlantic slave trade. In 1807 the United Kingdom outlawed slavery recognizing that the African slave trade and all manner of dealing and trading in the purchase, sale, barter, or transfer of slaves from any part of the coast or countries of Africa was unlawful and thereby abolished. The transatlantic slave trade conducted the capture of Africans, mostly from West Africa, for the purpose of enslavement in the colonies that would become the United States, during the 15th and late 19th centuries. The Middle Passage was the forced migration through overseas transport of millions of Africans to the Americas, many of whom suffered abuses of rape and perished as a result of torture, malnutrition, disease and resistance in transit. Those who survived this perilous journey were sold into slavery. More than 12,000,000 Africans were transported in bondage from their African homelands to the Americas, and an estimated 1,200,000 men, women, and children born in the Americas were displaced in the forced migration that was the domestic slave trade. It is important to acknowledge that as a result of the slave trade approximately 80,000,000 to 150,000,000 persons of African descent live in Latin America and the Caribbean, making them the largest population of persons of African descent outside of Africa. The transatlantic slave trade is characterized as the largest forced migration in world history. The institution of slavery which enslaved Africans, their progeny and later generations for life was constitutionally and statutorily sanctioned by the Government of the United States from 1789 through 1865. Slavery in the United States during and after British colonial rule included the sale and acquisition of Africans as chattel property in interstate and intrastate commerce. However their presence in southern states posed a problem for representation when the Union solidified. The Great Compromise of 1787 declared that the enslaved Africans would be counted as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of representation in the House of Representatives as not to give undue representation to southern states. [[Page 10835]] The slavery that flourished in the United States constituted an immoral and inhumane dispossession of Africans' life, liberty, and citizenship rights and denied them the fruits of their own labor. The enslaved Africans in the colonies and the United States suffered psychological and physical abuse, destruction of their culture, language, religion, and families. I am disappointed that this body has been slow to act on the resolution denouncing slavery and offering an official apology to the descendants of slaves and the African American community. The 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa, declared the slave trade and slavery a crime against humanity. The world recognizes the magnitude of this atrocity so why can't we make this simple step towards reconciliation? The slave trade and the legacy of slavery continue to have a profound impact on social and economic disparity, hatred, bias, racism and discrimination in the United States. I urge my colleagues to support this and other legislation that serves to educate and increase awareness of the history of the slave trade and its impact on American culture. Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I wish to express my full support for commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade as called for by H. Res. 272, which was introduced by Representative Barbara Lee. The Transatlantic Slave Trade is a very important part of world history that should never be forgotten. Millions of men, women, and children were forcibly removed from their homeland, packed into ships under inhumane conditions, and then after being lucky enough to survive the treacherous high seas, sold like pieces of disposable property to slave owners. Further, to add insult to injury, they were treated horribly by their masters throughout their lives. For those that survived the voyage, their strength is still unbelievable and nothing short of a miracle. For these and other reasons, Americans and people all over the world should be reminded of their immeasurable suffering and how the abolishment of the Transatlantic Slave Trade impacted the end of that atrocity. The abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade was a pivotal step to the full abolishment of slavery in Great Britain and the United States. Since this action was monumental, it needs to be commemorated. A commemoration offers an opportunity to educate youth and remind others of the importance of ending the Transatlantic Slave Trade. There simply is not enough attention given to educating people on the history of slavery. Although it represents a dark part of history, it needs to be highlighted and explained. It has been said and it is true, that America is a melting pot. Since our great country is so diverse and will continue to grow, every opportunity to commemorate and share history should be seized. I encourage my colleagues to support this important resolution. Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am proud to be a cosponsor of H. Res. 272, a resolution commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. The transatlantic slave trade was a crime against the humanity of Africans, mostly from Western, Central, and Eastern Africa, who were kidnapped and sent to the United States and the colonies that became the United States which occurred between the 15th and late 19th centuries. Millions of Africans were literally kidnapped and shipped like chattels to the Americas. In the process many were physically abused and raped. Many perished as a result of torture, malnutrition, disease and resistance in transit. Those who survived were forced into slavery. Slavery in the United States during and after British colonial rule included the sale and acquisition of Africans as chattel property in interstate and intrastate commerce. Humans of African origin here in the United States were robbed of their homes, family, language, culture, religion, and above all their freedom. The transatlantic slave trade is characterized as the largest forced migration in world history. What made the institution of slavery in the United States unique was that this particular form of slavery was in fact race based with `black' or `Negro' becoming synonymous with the word `slave'. Slaves were prevented by law from learning to read and marriage between two slaves was not recognized by the state. It is argued that the effects of slavery have affected African-Americans and American society to this very day. In 1807, Britain became the first European nation to ban the slave trade. France, Holland, and the United States soon thereafter passed legislation banning the trade. However, since Spain and Portugal did not follow this example, African slaves continued to be sent to countries in South America until near the end of the 19th century. Even with the end of the slave trade slavery would still be legal across a large part of the United States until the end of the Civil War. I am compelled to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade because we as a country cannot ever forget this legalized horror and crime against humanity that was allowed to exist in our Nation. A horror that made our American union a less perfect one than it was initially set out to be. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support and commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 272, as amended. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________