IA 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. J. RES. 67 
Supporting the designation of August as ‘‘Slavery Remembrance Month’’, 
to serve as a reminder of the evils of slavery, its continuing effects, 
and the freedom fighters who fought to end this horrific crime against 
humanity. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 3, 2025 
Mr. GREEN of Texas (for himself, Mr. CLEAVER, Mrs. MCIVER, Ms. NORTON, 
and Mr. JACKSON of Illinois) submitted the following joint resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Re-
form 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Supporting the designation of August as ‘‘Slavery Remem-
brance Month’’, to serve as a reminder of the evils of 
slavery, its continuing effects, and the freedom fighters 
who fought to end this horrific crime against humanity. 
Whereas this resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Original Slavery 
Remembrance Month Resolution’’; 
Whereas it was during the month of August in the year 
1619, that the enslavement of African people in the 
American colonies destined to become the United States 
of America occurred; 
Whereas the House of Representatives and the Senate recog-
nize August as ‘‘Slavery Remembrance Month’’ and com-
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memorate the lives of all enslaved people while also con-
demning the perpetration and perpetuation of slavery in 
the United States of America and across the world; 
Whereas the following Members of Congress are post-
humously recognized, individuals who served during and 
after the Reconstruction Era, as honorary cosponsors of 
this resolution: the Honorable Joseph Hayne Rainey 
(SC–01), Member of Congress from 1870 to 1879; Jef-
ferson Franklin Long (GA–04), Member of Congress 
from January 1871 to March 1871; Robert Carlos De 
Large (SC–02), Member of Congress from 1871 to 1873; 
Robert Brown Elliott (SC–3), Member of Congress from 
1871 to 1874; Benjamin Sterling Turner (AL–01), Mem-
ber of Congress from 1871 to 1873; Josiah Thomas 
Walls (FL-At Large), Member of Congress from 1871 to 
1876; Alonzo Jacob Ransier (SC–02), Member of Con-
gress from 1873 to 1875; Richard Harvey Cain (SC-At 
Large), Member of Congress from 1873 to 1875 and 
1877 to 1879; John Roy Lynch (MS–06), Member of 
Congress from 1873 to 1877 and 1882 to 1883; James 
Thomas Rapier (AL–02), Member of Congress from 
1873 to 1875; Jeremiah Haralson (AL–01), Member of 
Congress from 1875 to 1877; John Adams Hyman (NC– 
02), Member of Congress from 1875 to 1877; Robert 
Smalls (SC–07), Member of Congress from 1875 to 1879 
and 1882 to 1883 and 1884 to 1887; James Edward 
O’Hara (NC–02), Member of Congress from 1883 to 
1887; Henry Plummer Cheatham (NC–02), Member of 
Congress from 1889 to 1893; John Mercer Langston 
(VA–04), Member of Congress from 1890 to 1891; 
Thomas Ezekiel Miller, Member of Congress from 1890 
to 1891; George Washington Murray (SC–01), Member 
of Congress from 1893 to 1895 and 1896 to 1897; and 
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George Henry White (NC–02), Member of Congress from 
1897 to 1901; 
Whereas there are seminal moments in the annals of time 
that affect the rest of time; 
Whereas, during the month of August in the year 1619, a 
sinful seminal moment in time occurred that invidiously 
sculpts and shamefully yet haunts the United States of 
America; 
Whereas August 20, 1619, became a seminal moment in time 
when the first 20 enslaved Africans were brought against 
their will to what was then Point Comfort, now Fort 
Monroe, in Hampton, Virginia, and forced into chattel 
slavery; 
Whereas all, including Africans, who captured, enslaved, and 
sold captives to transatlantic slave traders are condemned 
for their perpetration and perpetuation of the evils of en-
slavement; 
Whereas, over the period of the Atlantic slave trade, from ap-
proximately 1526 to 1867, millions of humans were ab-
ducted and shipped from Africa, and approximately 
10,700,000 arrived in the Americas as personal property; 
Whereas the majority of enslaved Africans brought to British 
North America arrived between 1720 and 1780; 
Whereas about 6 percent of African captives were sent di-
rectly to British North America; 
Whereas, by 1825, in what has been called the New World, 
the United States included about 25 percent people of 
African descent; 
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Whereas the deadly, wicked Middle Passage from West Africa 
to the West Indies was dangerous and horrific for 
enslaved people; 
Whereas mothers, fathers, children, sisters, brothers, aunts, 
uncles, cousins, as well as people from all walks of life, 
including artisans, traditional healers, spiritual leaders, 
agriculturists, artists, chefs, blacksmiths, merchants, and 
educators, survived the wicked Middle Passage only to 
suffer the evils of slavery in the Americas; 
Whereas, according to some historians, about 12 percent of 
the enslaved people who embarked did not survive the 
voyage; 
Whereas sharks have been said to have followed the slave 
ships to feed on bodies of slaves thrown overboard; 
Whereas, although the enslaved sexes were separated, men, 
women, and children were often kept naked, packed close 
together, and the men were chained for long periods; 
Whereas enslaved people suffered a variety of miserable and 
often fatal maladies as a result of being subjected to in-
humane living and working conditions; 
Whereas infant and child mortality rates were twice as high 
among enslaved children as among Southern White chil-
dren; 
Whereas enslaved people often worked from before sunup to 
after sundown, 6 to 7 days a week, often without suffi-
cient food; 
Whereas enslaved Black families lived with the perpetual, 
dreadful fear of separation caused by the depravity of 1 
or more family members being sold; 
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Whereas it is estimated that approximately one-third of 
enslaved children in the upper Southern States of Mary-
land and Virginia experienced family separation through 
the sale of parents, including the sale of mothers or fa-
thers away from children; 
Whereas many of the enslaved, liberated enslaved, freed, and 
abolitionists have not received their righteous status in 
history as freedom fighters; 
Whereas Prince Hall, a Black freedman, lived in colonial 
Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1735 to 1807; 
Whereas Prince Hall was an ardent pioneer abolitionist, 
human rights activist, and freedom fighter who preceded 
Sojourner Truth, John Brown, Nat Turner, and Harriet 
Tubman during the American Revolutionary period; 
Whereas, in 1775, after being denied by an all-White Masonic 
lodge, freedom fighter Prince Hall and 14 other free 
Black freedom fighters formed their own lodge; 
Whereas freedom fighter Prince Hall was elected as the lead-
er, or ‘‘Worshipful Master’’, within the newly formed Af-
rican Lodge #1, later renamed African Lodge No. 459; 
Whereas because of this action the freedom fighter Prince 
Hall is also renowned as the ‘‘Father of Black Free-
masonry’’; 
Whereas Prince Hall Freemasonry is the oldest human rights 
fraternity in the United States of America, predating the 
Nation’s founding; 
Whereas Prince Hall Masons advocated for racial uplift, edu-
cation, and improving the condition of Black people in 
America; 
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Whereas the freedom fighter Nat Turner was born into slav-
ery in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1800; 
Whereas Southampton County was home to many planta-
tions, and enslaved people outnumbered free Whites; 
Whereas freedom fighter Turner learned to read and write at 
a young age, becoming deeply religious; 
Whereas freedom fighter Turner was sold to several different 
masters over the course of his life, the last time in 1830; 
Whereas freedom fighter Turner preached to fellow enslaved 
people, developing a loyal following; 
Whereas freedom fighter Turner began planning a revolt with 
a few trusted fellow enslaved men from neighboring plan-
tations; 
Whereas freedom fighter Turner led a liberation rebellion be-
ginning in August 1831, quickly growing from a small 
handful of enslaved people to more than 70 enslaved and 
free Blacks; 
Whereas the liberators went from house to house in South-
ampton County, freeing enslaved people; 
Whereas the liberators were ultimately defeated by a State 
militia that had over twice their manpower, with 3 artil-
lery companies reinforcing it; 
Whereas freedom fighter Turner was captured 6 weeks after 
the liberation rebellion was put down, whereupon he was 
promptly convicted and sentenced to death; 
Whereas, in retaliation for the liberation uprising, Virginia 
officially executed 56 Black people, with at least 100 
more killed by militias through extrajudicial violence; 
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