IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 194 

Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-Americans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 27, 2007 

Mr. COHEN (for himself, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of 

Texas, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. WEXLER, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. 

WOOLSEY, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. LEE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, 

Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. 

CAPUANO, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. 

AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. WATSON, Mr. HINCHEY, 

Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. CARSON, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. DAVIS of 

Alabama, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. HARE, Mr. 

KENNEDY, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. HODES, Mr. FILNER, Mr. HONDA, and 

Mr. KUCINICH) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of 

African-Americans. 

Whereas millions of Africans and their descendants were 

enslaved in the United States and the 13 American colonies from 1619 through 1865; 

Whereas slavery in America resembled no other form of involuntary servitude known in history, as Africans were captured and sold at auction like inanimate objects or animals; 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
2 

•HRES 194 IH 

Whereas Africans forced into slavery were brutalized, humiliated, dehumanized, and subjected to the indignity of 

being stripped of their names and heritage; 

Whereas enslaved families were torn apart after having been 

sold separately from one another; 

Whereas the system of slavery and the visceral racism against 

persons of African descent upon which it depended became entrenched in the Nation’s social fabric; 

Whereas slavery was not officially abolished until the passage 

of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865 after the end of the Civil War, which was 

fought over the slavery issue; 

Whereas after emancipation from 246 years of slavery, African-Americans soon saw the fleeting political, social, and 

economic gains they made during Reconstruction eviscerated by virulent racism, lynchings, disenfranchisement, 

Black Codes, and racial segregation laws that imposed a 

rigid system of officially sanctioned racial segregation in 

virtually all areas of life; 

Whereas the system of de jure racial segregation known as 

‘‘Jim Crow,’’ which arose in certain parts of the Nation 

following the Civil War to create separate and unequal 

societies for whites and African-Americans, was a direct 

result of the racism against persons of African descent 

engendered by slavery; 

Whereas the system of Jim Crow laws officially existed into 

the 1960’s—a century after the official end of slavery in 

America—until Congress took action to end it, but the 

vestiges of Jim Crow continue to this day; 

Whereas African-Americans continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow—long after both sysVerDate Aug 31 2005 21:40 Feb 28, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR194.IH HR194

rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
3 

•HRES 194 IH 

tems were formally abolished—through enormous damage 

and loss, both tangible and intangible, including the loss 

of human dignity and liberty, the frustration of careers 

and professional lives, and the long-term loss of income 

and opportunity; 

Whereas the story of the enslavement and de jure segregation 

of African-Americans and the dehumanizing atrocities 

committed against them should not be purged from or 

minimized in the telling of American history; 

Whereas on July 8, 2003, during a trip to Goree Island, Senegal, a former slave port, President George W. Bush acknowledged slavery’s continuing legacy in American life 

and the need to confront that legacy when he stated that 

slavery ‘‘was . . . one of the greatest crimes of history 

. . . The racial bigotry fed by slavery did not end with 

slavery or with segregation. And many of the issues that 

still trouble America have roots in the bitter experience 

of other times. But however long the journey, our destiny 

is set: liberty and justice for all.’’; 

Whereas President Bill Clinton also acknowledged the deepseated problems caused by the continuing legacy of racism against African-Americans that began with slavery 

when he initiated a national dialogue about race; 

Whereas a genuine apology is an important and necessary 

first step in the process of racial reconciliation; 

Whereas an apology for centuries of brutal dehumanization 

and injustices cannot erase the past, but confession of 

the wrongs committed can speed racial healing and reconciliation and help Americans confront the ghosts of 

their past; 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
4 

•HRES 194 IH 

Whereas the legislature of the Commonwealth of Virginia has 

recently taken the lead in adopting a resolution officially 

expressing appropriate remorse for slavery and other 

State legislatures are considering similar resolutions; and 

Whereas it is important for this country, which legally recognized slavery through its Constitution and its laws, to 

make a formal apology for slavery and for its successor, 

Jim Crow, so that it can move forward and seek reconciliation, justice, and harmony for all of its citizens: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) acknowledges the fundamental injustice, 

3 cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and 

4 Jim Crow; 

5 (2) apologizes to African-Americans on behalf 

6 of the people of the United States, for the wrongs 

7 committed against them and their ancestors who 

8 suffered under slavery and Jim Crow; and 

9 (3) expresses its commitment to rectify the lin10 gering consequences of the misdeeds committed 

11 against African-Americans under slavery and Jim 

12 Crow and to stop the occurrence of human rights 

13 violations in the future. 

Æ 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS