IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1254 

Establishing a task force to recommend an appropriate recognition of the 

historic life and career of Representative Joseph Rainey of South Carolina on the 150th anniversary of his becoming a Member of the House 

of Representatives. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 9, 2020 

Mr. MCCARTHY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on House Administration 

RESOLUTION 

Establishing a task force to recommend an appropriate recognition of the historic life and career of Representative 

Joseph Rainey of South Carolina on the 150th anniversary of his becoming a Member of the House of Representatives. 

Whereas Joseph Hayne Rainey was born enslaved on June 

21, 1832, in Georgetown, South Carolina; 

Whereas Joseph Rainey learned the barbering trade from his 

father, Edward Rainey; 

Whereas Edward Rainey used profits from his work as a barber to buy his and his family’s freedom in the 1840’s; 

Whereas Joseph Rainey eventually moved with his family to 

Charleston, South Carolina; 


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•HRES 1254 IH 

Whereas in 1859, Joseph Rainey married his wife, Susan, 

with whom he had three children, Joseph II, Herbert, 

and Olive; 

Whereas during the Civil War, in 1862, Joseph Rainey and 

his wife and family escaped to Bermuda, a British colony 

that had abolished slavery in 1834, and undertook successful entrepreneurial endeavors together; 

Whereas in 1866 the Rainey family moved back to Charleston, South Carolina, after the Civil War had ended; 

Whereas Joseph H. Rainey co-founded the State Republican 

Party and represented Georgetown, South Carolina, on 

the party’s central committee in 1867; 

Whereas Joseph Rainey participated in the South Carolina 

State constitutional convention in 1868; 

Whereas Joseph Rainey was first elected to public office in 

1870, when he won a seat in the State Senate; 

Whereas Joseph Rainey won election to the House of Representatives in 1870, and was the first African American 

to serve as a Member of the House of Representatives; 

Whereas Joseph Rainey was sworn in as a member of the 

House of Representatives on December 12, 1870, to represent the First District of South Carolina in the FortyFirst Congress; 

Whereas Joseph Rainey became the first African American to 

preside over the House of Representatives by taking the 

chair in April 1874; 

Whereas Joseph Rainey was an active and effective member 

of Congress, serving with distinction on a number of 

committees including the Committee on Freedmen’s AfVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:59 Dec 10, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1254.IH HR1254

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fairs, the committee handling all legislation concerning 

people freed from slavery; 

Whereas Joseph Rainey was a tireless advocate for civil 

rights and equality; and a forceful proponent of desegregation in transportation, public accommodations, and especially education; and 

Whereas Joseph Rainey retired from the House of Representatives on March 3, 1879: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. TASK FORCE FOR RECOGNITION OF LIFE AND 

3 CAREER OF THE HONORABLE JOSEPH 

4 RAINEY. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT; COMPOSITION.—There is es6 tablished in the House of Representatives a task force, to 

7 be composed of the Clerk and the Historian of the House 

8 of Representatives and the Architect of the Capitol, to rec9 ommend an appropriate recognition for the historic life 

10 and career of the Honorable Joseph Rainey of South Caro11 lina, the first African American to serve as a Member of 

12 the House of Representatives. 

13 (b) DUTIES.—The task force established under this 

14 section shall— 

15 (1) produce a summary document of the 

16 achievements of the Honorable Joseph Rainey and 

17 the Reconstruction-Era generation of African-Amer18 ican Members of the House of Representatives; and 


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1 (2) recommend an appropriate recognition of 

2 those achievements which could be displayed in a 

3 prominent location in, or near, the House side of the 

4 United States Capitol. 

5 (c) DEADLINE.—The task force shall complete its du6 ties under this section not later than 90 days after the 

7 adoption of this resolution. 

Æ 


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