Congressman Al Green Applauds House Passage of His Legislation, the Historic “Original Slavery Remembrance Day Resolution”

(Washington, D.C.) — On Wednesday, July 27, 2022, Congressman Al Green released the following statement:

“One of my longstanding goals during my time in Congress has been for our nation to officially memorialize and commemorate the lives of all enslaved people while also condemning the institution of slavery in the United States and across the world. I am proud to share that today we are one step closer to achieving that goal thanks to the House passage of H.Res.517, my Original Slavery Remembrance Day Resolution. Our ultimate goal is to have a U.S. President issue a proclamation decreeing August 20 as Slavery Remembrance Day.”

“My Original Slavery Remembrance Day Resolution denounces slavery, encourages people across the length and breadth of our nation to acknowledge the perverse role slavery played in our history, as well as stipulates that the U.S. House of Representatives officially supports the establishment of an annual Slavery Remembrance Day on August 20. This date was chosen because on August 20, 1619, a slave ship, The White Lion, arrived in Point Comfort near Norfolk, VA with the first 20 enslaved Africans brought to the English-speaking American colonies.”

Congressman Al Green continued, “Remembrance or commemorative days are important because they honor the memory of an individual or event. Currently, we have remembrance days for the Holocaust, Pearl Harbor, and 9/11. Each of these events was a dark, tragic moment in history that under no circumstance should be allowed to take place again. To ensure such horrors are never repeated, we must ensure they are never forgotten—which is why slavery necessitates a National Day of Remembrance. Ongoing efforts by states such as Texas to sanitize American history by redefining slavery as “involuntary relocation” as well as rid our classrooms of essential discussions about race and equality demonstrate the urgency for a National Day of Remembrance for slavery to be established.”

Congressman Al Green concluded, “I must thank our 137 co-sponsors, including 77 original co-sponsors, as well as all who supported this historic legislation. A special thanks to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for his invaluable support of the Original Remembrance Day Resolution and his help in securing its passage in the House. I also thank Senator Elizabeth Warren for being a critical ally and leading the efforts in the Senate to make Slavery Remembrance Day a reality.”

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer added, “I want to thank my friend Rep. Al Green for leading this resolution, which is important in our journey as a nation to understand our history better and to learn from the experiences of African Americans who endured the evils of slavery.  I’m proud to have worked to pass his resolution in the House, which recognizes August 20, the anniversary of the first arrival of enslaved people on our shores from Africa in 1619, as Slavery Remembrance Day.  This resolution is a part of our Majority’s work to face our history with courage and chart a course forward that recognizes the past while building a better and stronger future for all Americans together.”

“Today, the House of Representatives took steps to recognize our nation’s difficult past and to acknowledge that slavery still impacts our country in the form of institutionalized racism, police brutality, and mass incarceration,” said Senator Warren. “I’m grateful to partner with Representative Al Green to recognize August 20 as Slavery Remembrance Day. This is an important step to ensure we never forget this stain on our country’s history.”