I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 196

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a memorial to slavery, 

in the District of Columbia. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 7, 2003

Mr. STEARNS (for himself, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. QUINN, and Mr. MORAN of 

Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a 

memorial to slavery, in the District of Columbia.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Slave Memo5 rial Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Millions of Africans and their descendants 

9 were enslaved in the United States and the 13 

10 American colonies in the period 1619 through 1865. 
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1 (2) The American Colonies determined that eco2 nomic benefit would be derived from the import of 

3 slave labor and forthwith became an active partici4 pant in the ‘‘Middle Passage’’ of African slaves to 

5 its shores. 

6 (3) Upon their arrival in North America, Afri7 cans were considered chattel and thereby denied the 

8 privileges granted to other immigrants. 

9 (4) The agricultural resources of any nation are 

10 the backbone of its subsistence and for over 250 

11 years, millions of unnamed African and American12 born Black men, women, and children provided the 

13 free labor that cultivated the fields from which 

14 Americans ate and were clothed, which allowed the 

15 dominant population to secure other interests. 

16 (5) Slavery was a grave injustice that caused 

17 African Americans to suffer enormous damages and 

18 losses, both material and intangible, including the 

19 loss of human dignity and liberty, the frustration of 

20 careers and professional lives, and the long-term loss 

21 of income and opportunity. 

22 (6) Slavery in the United States denied African 

23 Americans the fruits of their own labor and was an 

24 immoral and inhumane deprivation of life, liberty, 
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1 the pursuit of happiness, citizenship rights, and cul2 tural heritage. 

3 (7) Although the achievements of African 

4 Americans in overcoming the evils of slavery stand 

5 as a source of tremendous inspiration, the successes 

6 of slaves and their descendants do not overwrite the 

7 failure of the Nation to grant all Americans their 

8 birthright of equality and the civil rights that safe9 guard freedom. 

10 (8) Many African American slaves fought as 

11 valiant patriots in the wars that helped to preserve 

12 our national freedoms, knowing they would never be 

13 privileged to partake of the freedoms for which they 

14 fought. 

15 (9) African American art, history, and culture 

16 reflect experiences of slavery and freedom, and con17 tinued struggles for full recognition of citizenship 

18 and treatment with human dignity, and there is in19 adequate presentation, preservation, and recognition 

20 of the contributions of African Americans within 

21 American society. 

22 (10) There is a great need for building institu23 tions and monuments to promote cultural under24 standing of African American heritage and further 

25 enhance racial harmony. 
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1 (11) It is proper and timely for the Congress to 

2 recognize June 19, 1865, the historic day when the 

3 last group of slaves were informed of their freedom, 

4 to acknowledge the historic significance of the aboli5 tion of slavery, to express deep regret to African 

6 Americans, and to support reconciliation efforts. 

7 SEC. 3. NATIONAL SLAVE MEMORIAL. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The National Foundation for Af9 rican American Heritage (in this Act referred to as the 

10 ‘‘Foundation’’), in consultation with the Secretary of the 

11 Interior, is authorized to establish, in the District of Co12 lumbia, a memorial to slavery—

13 (1) to acknowledge the fundamental injustice, 

14 cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the 

15 United States and the 13 American Colonies; and 

16 (2) to honor the nameless and forgotten men, 

17 women, and children who have gone unrecognized 

18 for their undeniable and weighty contribution to the 

19 United States. 

20 (b) LOCATION.—

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The memorial shall be situ22 ated in a location that is—

23 (A) within the area that is referred to in 

24 the Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 
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1 1001 et seq.) as Area 1 and in proximity to the 

2 Lincoln Memorial; and 

3 (B) recommended by the Secretary of the 

4 Interior and the National Capital Memorial 

5 Commission not later than 6 months after the 

6 date of enactment of this Act. 

7 (2) COMPLIANCE WITH COMMEMORATIVE

8 WORKS ACT.—This Act shall be treated as satisfying 

9 the authorization and location approval requirements 

10 of section 6 of the Commemorative Works Act (40 

11 U.S.C. 1006). 

12 (c) DESIGN.—The Foundation, in consultation with 

13 the Secretary of the Interior, and the National Capital 

14 Memorial Commission shall—

15 (1) not later than 6 months after the date of 

16 enactment of this Act, begin soliciting proposals for 

17 the design of the memorial from architects; and 

18 (2) not later than 2 years after the date of en19 actment of this Act, select a design for the memorial 

20 from the proposals submitted to the Secretary. 

21 (d) FUNDING.—

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte23 rior, in coordination with the Director of the Smith24 sonian Institution, may accept donations of any nec25 essary funds from the Foundation and other private 
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1 sector sources to design, construct, and maintain the 

2 memorial. 

3 (2) ACCOUNT IN TREASURY.—The Secretary 

4 shall deposit amounts that are accepted under this 

5 subsection into a separate account in the Treasury 

6 established for such purpose. Amounts deposited 

7 into the account shall be available for expenditure by 

8 the Secretary without further appropriation to carry 

9 out this Act. 

10 SEC. 4. REPORTS. 

11 (a) PERIODIC REPORTS.—Not later than 6 months 

12 after the date of enactment of this Act, and each 6 months 

13 thereafter until the submission of a final report under sub14 section (b), the Secretary of the Interior shall transmit 

15 to the Congress a report on activities with regard to the 

16 memorial. 

17 (b) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 

18 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit 

19 to the Congress a final report on activities with regard 

20 to the memorial, including the recommended design of the 

21 memorial. 

22 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), there 

24 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the 
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1 Interior such sums as may be necessary for carrying out 

2 this Act. 

3 (b) LIMITATION.—No sums may be appropriated to 

4 the Secretary for the construction of the memorial unless 

5 at least one-half of the estimated total cost of the con6 struction of the memorial is donated from private sources 

7 pursuant to section 3(d).

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