IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 62 
Expressing the sense of Congress that Congress, as well as people throughout 
the Nation, should hold an annual commemorative event on or near 
August 20th to revere, honor, and remember the victims of slavery 
in the United States as well as to prevent slavery from ever happening 
again. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 18, 2023 
Mr. GREEN of Texas submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that Congress, as well 
as people throughout the Nation, should hold an annual 
commemorative event on or near August 20th to revere, 
honor, and remember the victims of slavery in the United 
States as well as to prevent slavery from ever happening 
again. 
Whereas this resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Original Slavery 
Remembrance Day Memorialization Resolution’’; 
Whereas the institution of slavery was a crime against hu-
manity; 
Whereas the institution of slavery, which was intrinsically in-
humane and abhorrent, imposed countless years of suf-
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fering on millions of innocent individuals, forever mark-
ing our Nation’s past; 
Whereas any attempt to minimize or rationalize the severity 
of slavery must be steadfastly rejected; 
Whereas the abhorrent notion slavery may have been more 
beneficial than detrimental to those enslaved at any point 
in time is utterly false and harmful; 
Whereas the enslaved people, regardless of their age, sex, or 
status, were subjected to a spectrum of brutalities and 
inhumanities, from relentless physical and psychological 
abuse to systemic dehumanization; 
Whereas the forced labor endured by the enslaved was not 
only physically strenuous but often involved dangerous 
tasks, leaving the enslaved vulnerable to accidents, dis-
ease, and in many cases, resulting in premature death; 
Whereas physical punishment, often extreme, was a daily re-
ality for the enslaved, aimed not only at ensuring their 
submission but also at instilling fear and eroding their 
self-worth; 
Whereas the enslaved in the United States lived under con-
stant threat of sexual exploitation, a tool wielded to exert 
control and further degrade them; 
Whereas one of the most heart-wrenching aspects of slavery 
was the forced separation of families; 
Whereas the system of slavery sinisterly disregarded familial 
bonds between spouses, siblings, parents and their chil-
dren by selling them to different enslavers; 
Whereas the enslaved were stripped of their dignity, identi-
ties, cultures, and languages, by enslavers to erase their 
humanity; 
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Whereas 
many 
enslaved 
individuals 
died 
unnamed, 
unacknowledged, and unappreciated, their lives and con-
tributions lost in the shameful shadows of the institution 
that dehumanized them; 
Whereas White supremacy and the repercussions of slavery 
did not end with the abolition of the institution; 
Whereas slavery has left an enduring legacy that can still be 
observed in various forms, including systemic racism and 
social inequality; 
Whereas descendants of enslaved individuals continue to be 
impacted by the lasting effects of slavery, manifesting in 
disparities in health, education, and wealth accumulation; 
Whereas it is critical to recognize and address the racial 
wealth gap, a direct product of slavery and subsequent 
discriminatory practices, which hampers the ability of Af-
rican Americans to accumulate wealth comparable to 
White Americans; 
Whereas future generations must be vigilant in recognizing 
and combating signs of racial prejudice, social inequality, 
as well as all other forms of invidious discrimination, ex-
ploitation, and subjugation; 
Whereas the fight against contemporary progenies of slavery, 
such as human trafficking, must be relentless to ensure 
history does not repeat itself; 
Whereas education and public awareness are essential tools in 
preventing the resurgence of practices reminiscent of 
slavery, emphasizing the importance of teaching the his-
tory of slavery in a truthful and comprehensive manner; 
Whereas, in addition to acknowledging the atrocities com-
mitted, it is essential to remember and celebrate the 
strength, resilience, and contributions of the enslaved, as 
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well as their survival and resistance against a system de-
signed to annihilate their identities and self-worth; and 
Whereas the Nation must commit to a continuous process of 
reconciliation and healing, acknowledging the historical 
truth about slavery as well as its enduring impact, while 
working toward meaningful reparative justice: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Original Slavery 
Remembrance Day Memorialization Resolution’’. 
SEC. 2. SLAVERY REMEMBRANCE DAY COMMEMORATIVE 
EVENTS. 
(a) ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO HOLD EVENTS.— 
(1) ARCHITECT
OF
THE
CAPITOL.—It is the 
sense of Congress that Congress, in consultation 
with the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian 
Institution, should hold an annual commemorative 
event on an appropriate day at a location in the 
United States Capitol Complex to revere, honor, and 
remember the victims of slavery. 
(2) OTHERS.—Congress encourages all people 
of good will throughout the Nation to hold an an-
nual commemorative event on an appropriate day to 
revere, honor, and remember the victims of slavery. 
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(b) LOCATION OF EVENTS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the annual commemorative event described in 
this section should be held at a location that can provide 
an appropriate degree of solemnity and dignity for such 
an occasion. 
(c) DIALOGUE OF EVENT.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the annual commemorative event described in 
this section should feature the dialogue recommended in 
section 3 or a close variation of such dialogue. 
(d) PURPOSE.—The commemorative event described 
in this section is designed to serve as a memorial to the 
victims of slavery, to educate the public about the histor-
ical reality as well as the lasting impact of slavery, and 
to inspire continued commitment to not only fight contem-
porary racial injustice and inequality, but also to continue 
the struggle for reverence and justice for the enslaved 
whose lives were sacrificed to make America great. 
SEC. 3. DIALOGUE. 
(a) CONTENTS.—The dialogue recommended in this 
section is as follows: 
‘‘If you can, please join me by standing and 
placing your right hand over your heart to show 
heartfelt sorrow for the millions who suffered the 
horrors of slavery. 
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‘‘Over the next few minutes, we will recall var-
ious well documented aspects of the experiences of 
American slaves. 
‘‘At the end of each of these summarized expe-
riences I will say the words ‘we must’: 
‘‘Immediately after I say, ‘we must’ I would like 
you (each of you) to, in unison, say ‘always remem-
ber’. 
‘‘Let’s begin. 
‘‘To prevent the evils of slavery from being re-
peated we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘To commemorate the suffering and the lives 
lost because of slavery we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘For the first 20 enslaved Africans who arrived 
in the British colonies at Point Comfort near what 
is now Norfolk Virginia on August 20, 1619, we 
must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘For the 12 million humans from all walks of 
life whose lives were stolen from them when they 
were kidnaped from Africa we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
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‘‘For the Africans sold into slavery by other Af-
ricans we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘For the 12 percent of human beings who suf-
fered the deadly middle passage and did not survive 
the horrific voyage to America we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘For the men, women, and children on slave 
ships, many of whom were kept naked and packed 
close together, with many shackled and chained we 
must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘For enslaved human beings who often worked 
from sunup to after sundown, 6 to 7 days a week 
often without food we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘For the mothers and fathers who were sepa-
rated from their children and sold on the auction 
blocks we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘For the freedom fighters such as Nat Turner 
who fought to free enslaved people; who gave their 
lives in the fight for freedom and justice we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
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‘‘For the tens of thousands of slaves who risked 
their lives in search of freedom on the Underground 
Railroad we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘For freedom fighters such as Harriet Tubman, 
who escaped slavery and dedicated her life to return-
ing to the South no less than 13 times freeing 
enslaved men women and children, we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘For the White liberators like John Brown and 
President Abraham Lincoln who lived and died com-
bating the horrific institution of slavery we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘To commemorate the centuries of suffering, 
the years of tears shed, the history of hearts broken, 
the brutality of blood spilled, and the grieving over 
lives lost because of slavery we must: 
‘‘Always remember. 
‘‘Yet, in the spirit of righteous remembrance 
imbued with love for our country that hasn’t always 
loved its brothers and sisters of African ancestry, we 
have to acknowledge that: 
‘‘In spite of slavery and despite its invidious 
offsprings: mass lynchings, convict leasing, Black 
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codes, lawful segregation, and institutional racism, 
African Americans have come a laudably long way. 
‘‘From our arrival on slave ships to our ascen-
sion to judgeships, 
‘‘From surviving the Middle Passage to thriving 
among the masses, 
‘‘From shackled in chains to creating societal 
change, 
‘‘From sitting in the back of buses to owning 
bus companies, 
‘‘From having no house to living in the White 
House, 
‘‘From painfully picking cotton to proudly pick-
ing Presidents, 
‘‘From adult males and females being dis-
respectfully called boy and girl to being respectfully 
presented as Mr. President and Madam Vice Presi-
dent. 
‘‘The truth be told, although we have come a 
long way, we still have a way to go. 
‘‘In closing let us resolve that as we forge for-
ward we will commemorate our past and embrace 
our destiny, always remembering the hardships peo-
ple of African heritage have endured in tandem with 
the victories won in spite of the seemingly invincible 
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challenges emanating from insidious slavery and its 
invidious progenies! 
‘‘Through it all we must: 
‘‘Always Remember. 
‘‘We must: 
‘‘Always Remember. 
‘‘We must: 
‘‘Always Remember. 
‘‘If you can, I would ask that you participate in 
a moment of silent solemnity at noon on August 
20th wherever you may be. 
‘‘During this moment, wherever you are, place 
your right hand over your heart and with a moment 
of silent solemnity, give thought to the millions who 
toiled and lost their lives under slavery, and lovingly 
utter the phrase ‘I Remember’.’’. 
(b) RECITATION.—The dialogue set forth in sub-
section (a) is to be recited by the leader of the event, ex-
cept that each instance of ‘‘Always remember.’’ is to be 
recited by the audience. 
Æ 
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