HRES 194 EH
H. Res. 194
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
July 29, 2008.
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;
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;
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 a century after the official end of slavery in America, Federal action was required during the 1960s to eliminate the dejure and defacto system of Jim Crow throughout parts of the Nation, though its vestiges still linger to this day;
Whereas African-Americans continue to suffer from the complex interplay between slavery and Jim Crow–long after both systems were formally abolished–through enormous damage and loss, both tangible and intangible, including the loss of human dignity, 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 deep-seated 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;
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 have adopted or 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
Resolved, That the House of Representatives–
(1) acknowledges that slavery is incompatible with the basic founding principles recognized in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal;
(2) acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow;
(3) apologizes to African Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow; and
(4) expresses its commitment to rectify the lingering consequences of the misdeeds committed against African Americans under slavery and Jim Crow and to stop the occurrence of human rights violations in the future.
Attest:
Clerk.
END
did anyone actually read this?
13% of the population is responsible for the “Majority of the crime”….. Really????
The majority of people on welfare in America are not Black……..sorry to inform.
Africa is the birthplace of ALL civilization. the Moors, and ancient Egyptians were black. again sorry to inform you.
i just want to read the opinions of my fellow red blooded Americans.
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;
No, they are poor because they dont work, dont go to school, and sell drugs. But of course, this does not go for everyone. Not because of slavery.
Well growing up iin a ghetto has little oppurtunities
as long as they all keep voting for the dem’s, they will stay that way
zzzzzzz
thank you for the public announcement.
zzzzzzz
zzzzzzz
Whereas your a cry baby, booo hooo. This nation was founded by immigrants most who left oppression and prospered. The self-pity is self defeating.
The majority of blacks who are poor grew up in single parent households and become troubled because they did not have a positive father figure in the house to keep them in line. The fact that many blacks grow up in single parent households has been proven by statistics.
They can blame whitey all they want for injustices that happened 200+ years ago, but the fact is that they want to blame everyone else besides themselves for the current trouble. They expect people to hand things to them, instead of working to earn them. Everyone has had ancestors along the line who have faced oppression at one time or another, but blacks have more of a victim mentality than most other racial groups and ethnicities.
Black kids are now afraid to be successful, because they will be called “whitey” if they try to actually do something with their lives. Historically, the Irish, the Jews, etc., were treated just as bad, and at times, worse than the blacks, but they all have many people in the top of society now, because they worked hard to get there.
What a huge waste of time for our Congress, uh?
With all of the serious and pressing issues we face today, and they are drumming up more racial strife for no reason and wasting tax payer money on senseless bills like this.
Was there even a vote on this resolution?
And even if the House endorsed the resolution, what difference would it possibly make to black unemployment?
I don’t think you know what a “resolution” is in the House of Representatives. It has no significance whatsoever.
it must be because of their laziness,of course. I am sure that just because one of the biggest determining factors in how much you make is how much your parents made has nothing to do with it.
I have never owned any slaves, The blacks in Africa actually sold these people to the Portugese and other slave traders, before the Civil War there were free blacks that owned slaves, and this government has poured a fortune into the black community, they sit back and just wait for more, they kill each other at an astonishing rate, are responsible for the majority of crime in this country, I dont speak for all blacks, but a good majority.
welfare is the simple answer. no need to work when the gov supports you. work builds and diplays character. unemployment is what almost everyone says is the cause of terrorism, too many unhappy, unemployed people sitting around doing nothing.
Sure, why not. Especially if the words “personal responsibility” are meaningless.
Slavery isn’t the only issue. Even after slavery was abolished many southern states arrested blacks on bogus charges just to return them to a life of slavery without using the term. I wonder if the issue can ever be appreciated by non-blacks? My guess is it’s already being felt, with a black man running for the presidency, the illegals flooding into our country and staying it might only take another twenty years of so until whites are a true minority. They better hope they never see anything like the blacks have.
Black people are poor because they do not have a culture of attempting to succeed. If a black kid tries to do well in school and get a job, then they are criticized for “trying to be white.”
I’m going to state a historical fact that will anger many people. I will preface it by saying that stating a fact does not make you or your comment ******…… The truth of the matter is that when left alone, black people are completely unable to construct a stable and productive society. No nation under black leadership has ever been a world power.
Any cut and paste “”"question”"” this long simply HAS to be a troll post seeking the answer he or she wants to hear.
No, sorry.
I read it. The answer is No, it is not the reason. I am poor, should I start looking for a scape goat, or should I look in the mirror to see the cause?
No.
Oh, and by the way, slavery was a “black on black” experience, for the record. One tribe would raid another and capture rival members and sell them to the traders, who in turn simply brought them from Africa to Charleston, SC, and of course other places. There were actually negroes in the south that had other negroes…..as their slaves. pity ? none. Just the facts, ma’am.
1-No, the majority of black people are poor today due to their own victim ideology, their decision to blame white people for their problems and to denigrate those blacks who have worked hard to make a success of themselves.
2-So, this is what Congress was doing when it should have been voting on offshore drilling.
Most of us as Black Americans are affluent and well off. The people who answered before me are mentally lazy and need to do more research. During the process they could also develop some form of common sense.
Thanks to the media, we are all perceived as being poor, uneducated and violent. Negative images of black people are more likely to grab a person’s interests, while our success here in America isn’t considered to be newsworthy.
This website describes how Black American businesses earned 28 billion last year.
This article notes how Black Americans have a purchasing power of 892 billion, which is mainly attributed to our middle class. This article proves that we have a strong middle class here.
This website profiles successful BA’s and gives descriptions of various affluent Black American neighborhoods across the country.
This website highlights our success in business, arts, and athletics.
Africa is the birthplace of ALL civilization. the Moors, and ancient Egyptians were black. again sorry to inform you.
When you make a misinformed statement like this you lose all respectability. The Moors were not black, they were middle eastern. They came from north africa to spain, but they were arabians who had brought Islam across the north of africa.
Egyptians are not black! Egyptians that we see today are a mixture of all the cultures that have conquered the area over the last 3000 years. Most of the Pharaohs that we know from history are Greek, having taken power after Alexander took over the area. We have color paintings on the walls of tombs from before that and the Egyptians did not depict themselves as back at that time, more of a brown color like all the other peoples of the eastern Mediterranean at the time.
Lastly, africa is not the birthplace of civilization! It was were the human race started but they did not get civilized until they got to the great river valleys of the Nile, Tigris, Indus & Yangtze.