IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 160 
Recognizing the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African 
American History and Culture, the only national museum dedicated to 
documenting African American life, history, and culture. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 
Mr. LEWIS (for himself, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. BASS, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. BECERRA, 
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of 
Pennsylvania, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Ms. BROWN 
of Florida, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. CAR-
SON of Indiana, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Ms. CASTOR 
of Florida, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, 
Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. CLAY, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. 
COHEN, Mr. COLLINS of Georgia, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. 
CROWLEY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. DAVIS 
of California, Mr. DELANEY, Mr. DEUTCH, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. 
DUCKWORTH, Ms. EDWARDS, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. FUDGE, Ms. 
GABBARD, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 
GUTIE´RREZ, Ms. HAHN, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. HECK of Washington, Mr. 
HIMES, Mr. HONDA, Mr. HOYER, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. 
JEFFRIES, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of 
Georgia, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KEATING, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. KILDEE, 
Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. LARSEN of 
Washington, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. LEE, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. 
LOWENTHAL, Mr. BEN RAY LUJA´N of New Mexico, Mrs. CAROLYN B. 
MALONEY of New York, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Ms. 
MATSUI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. 
MOULTON, Mr. NEAL, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. MOORE, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, 
Mr. NADLER, Mr. NORCROSS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PAYNE, 
Ms. PELOSI, Mr. PETERS, Ms. PLASKETT, Mr. POCAN, Mr. QUIGLEY, 
Mr. RANGEL, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Ms. LINDA T. 
SA´NCHEZ of California, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SCHRADER, Mr. DAVID 
SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. SEWELL 
of Alabama, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. SMITH of Washington, 
Mr. SWALWELL of California, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. TITUS, 
Mr. TONKO, Mrs. TORRES, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. VEASEY, 
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. WILSON of 
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•HCON 160 IH 
Florida, and Mr. YARMUTH) submitted the following concurrent resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Mu-
seum of African American History and Culture, the only 
national museum dedicated to documenting African 
American life, history, and culture. 
Whereas the public and congressional efforts to build a pub-
lic, national tribute to African Americans began over 100 
years ago; 
Whereas it took bipartisan and bicameral support over many 
years and sessions of Congress for legislation to establish 
the National Museum of African American History and 
Culture to overcome procedural and political hurdles; 
Whereas, on November 21, 1985, Representative Mickey Le-
land from Texas revived the effort and was joined by 
thirteen Members of Congress in introducing a bill to es-
tablish an American Slavery Memorial Council and to 
provide for the construction of a permanent museum me-
morializing the victims of slavery; 
Whereas Representative John Lewis continued the effort by 
introducing the National African American Heritage Mu-
seum and Memorial Act on September 14, 1988; 
Whereas additional key congressional proponents of the legis-
lative efforts included Senators Paul Martin Simon, Sam-
uel Brownback, Christopher Dodd, and Max Cleland, and 
Representatives William Lacy ‘‘Bill’’ Clay, Sr., Jack 
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Kingston, Julius Caesar ‘‘J.C.’’ Watts, Jr., and members 
of the Congressional Black Caucus; 
Whereas following unanimous congressional approval, Public 
Law 107–106, the National Museum of African American 
History and Culture Plan for Action Presidential Com-
mission Act of 2001, was signed into law on December 
28, 2001; 
Whereas Public Law 107–106 established a 23-member Com-
mission required to develop a report with a proposed plan 
of action for the establishment and maintenance of the 
National Museum of African American History and Cul-
ture in Washington, DC; 
Whereas after extensive study and national outreach, the 
Commission released two reports to the President and 
Congress: The Time Has Come, published in April 2003, 
and the Final Site Report, submitted in September 2003; 
Whereas upon receipt of the Commission’s report, Congress 
conducted a timely review of the recommendations and 
passed the National Museum of African American His-
tory and Culture Act, which was signed into law by 
President George W. Bush on December 16, 2003; 
Whereas in 2004, the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Re-
gents appointed 19 members to serve on the National 
Museum of African American History and Culture Coun-
cil; 
Whereas in January 2005, the Smithsonian Institution’s 
Board of Regents selected the Museum’s location to be 
on the National Mall and near the Washington Monu-
ment; 
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Whereas, on March 14, 2005, Dr. Lonnie G. Bunch III was 
appointed as the Founding Director of the National Mu-
seum of African American History and Culture; 
Whereas the preliminary planning for the museum building 
resulted in the May 2008 ‘‘Environmental and Historic 
Preservation Report’’; 
Whereas following a global competition, lead designer David 
Adjaye and lead architect Philip Freelon, along with the 
architectural team Freelon Adjaye Bond/Smith Group, 
were selected to design the Museum in 2009; 
Whereas the Museum’s design pays homage to the intersec-
tion of African, American, and Diaspora history and tra-
ditions, as the main entrance is intended to be a wel-
coming porch, and the exterior’s metal lattice is inspired 
by the Yoruban Caryatid, a traditional wooden column 
featuring a crown or corona at its peak; 
Whereas President Barack Obama participated in the 
groundbreaking ceremony for the National Museum of 
African American History and Culture, which occurred 
on February 22, 2012; 
Whereas the Museum has collected more than 37,000 arti-
facts representing African American and the Diaspora’s 
families and communities; military servicemembers; reli-
gious and faith traditions; regional American artifacts; 
clothing and dress; education, literature, music, photog-
raphy, and art; and slavery, segregation, and the Civil 
Rights Movement; 
Whereas the 400,000-square-foot Museum is scheduled to of-
ficially open on September 24, 2016, and will be free and 
accessible to all visitors; 
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