Norton Bill Establishing Memorial for Enslaved Persons Passed by Committee on Natural Resources Today

Statement

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that her bill to authorize the establishment of a memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia to honor enslaved persons passed the House Committee on Natural Resources today. The memorial, to be established by the Georgetown African American Historic Landmark Project and Tour, would honor enslaved persons' presence, celebrate their contributions to history and recognize their resilience and fortitude. Norton's bill originally would have established a memorial honoring the enslaved persons who disembarked at the Georgetown Waterfront, but Norton and the committee decided to amend the bill to honor all enslaved persons.

"This week, we remember Martin Luther King Jr., who advanced the cause of civil rights for Black Americans, who were once enslaved in the United States," Norton said. "Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrates not only the extraordinary man but also the success of the Civil Rights Movement he championed. This monumental holiday prompts us to reflect on the past and look to the future. This bill provides for the creation of a powerful marker of truth-telling and remembrance. Let us honor the personhood of these individuals, who were repeatedly assumed to have none, so that they will never be forgotten."

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