Black Patriots Memorial--Please contact your Reps.
S.1051 Title: A bill to authorize National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia at Constitution Gardens previously approved to honor free persons and slaves who fought for independence, liberty, and justice for all during the American Revolution.
Sponsor: Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] (introduced 3/29/2007)
Cosponsors (3)
Latest Major Action: 3/29/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
COSPONSORS(3), ALPHABETICAL [Sen Dole, Elizabeth [NC] - 3/29/2007 Sen Grassley, Chuck [IA] - 3/29/2007
Sen Obama, Barack [IL] - 3/29/2007
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the National Liberty Memorial Act along with my colleagues,
Senators CHARLES E. GRASSLEY and Sen. BARACK OBAMA. Representatives DONALD M. PAYNE, WILLIAM LACY CLAY, STEVE COHEN, SHEILA JACKSON-LEE, HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, Jr., NITA M. LOWEY, ALBIO SIRES, and BETTY SUTTON have introduced companion language in the House. (H.R. 1693)
The depth and breadth of patriotic contributions by African Americans in the Revolutionary War have gone practically unacknowledged. Historians are now beginning to uncover their forgotten heroism, and estimate that 5,000 slaves and free blacks fought in the army, navy, and militia during that harrowing time. They served and struggled in major battles from Lexington and Concord to Yorktown and made significant contributions to the revolutionary effort. More than 400 hailed from my State of Connecticut.
More than twenty years ago, Congress authorized a memorial to black Revolutionary War soldiers and sailors,
those who provided civilian assistance, and the many slaves who fled slavery or filed petitions to courts or legislatures for their freedom. A site was selected in Constitution Gardens, fittingly near the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial and the great war memorials. Unfortunately, the group originally authorized to raise funds for and build the memorial was unable to conclude its task, and the site sits empty today.
A group of committed citizens has formed the National Mall Liberty Fund DC, ‘‘Liberty Fund D.C.’’, to carry out the vision of Congress. Last year, the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission concluded that there are no legal impediments that would preclude the Liberty Fund DC from assuming the prior group’s site approvals on the Mall. The legislation that we offer today would amend the 1986 enactment to authorize the Liberty Fund to raise money for and build this valuable memorial.
The time has come to recognize the sacrifice and the impact of the African Americans who fought for the birth of our country. I urge my colleagues to support the National Liberty Memorial Act.
From Maurice Barboza
National Mall Liberty Fund D.C.
maurice@libertyfunddc.org
Tel: 703-299-0408
efax: 1-360-252-8384
ETA: Forgot the website Liberty Fund DC
Sponsor: Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] (introduced 3/29/2007)
Cosponsors (3)
Latest Major Action: 3/29/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
COSPONSORS(3), ALPHABETICAL [Sen Dole, Elizabeth [NC] - 3/29/2007 Sen Grassley, Chuck [IA] - 3/29/2007
Sen Obama, Barack [IL] - 3/29/2007
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the National Liberty Memorial Act along with my colleagues,
Senators CHARLES E. GRASSLEY and Sen. BARACK OBAMA. Representatives DONALD M. PAYNE, WILLIAM LACY CLAY, STEVE COHEN, SHEILA JACKSON-LEE, HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, Jr., NITA M. LOWEY, ALBIO SIRES, and BETTY SUTTON have introduced companion language in the House. (H.R. 1693)
The depth and breadth of patriotic contributions by African Americans in the Revolutionary War have gone practically unacknowledged. Historians are now beginning to uncover their forgotten heroism, and estimate that 5,000 slaves and free blacks fought in the army, navy, and militia during that harrowing time. They served and struggled in major battles from Lexington and Concord to Yorktown and made significant contributions to the revolutionary effort. More than 400 hailed from my State of Connecticut.
More than twenty years ago, Congress authorized a memorial to black Revolutionary War soldiers and sailors,
those who provided civilian assistance, and the many slaves who fled slavery or filed petitions to courts or legislatures for their freedom. A site was selected in Constitution Gardens, fittingly near the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial and the great war memorials. Unfortunately, the group originally authorized to raise funds for and build the memorial was unable to conclude its task, and the site sits empty today.
A group of committed citizens has formed the National Mall Liberty Fund DC, ‘‘Liberty Fund D.C.’’, to carry out the vision of Congress. Last year, the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission concluded that there are no legal impediments that would preclude the Liberty Fund DC from assuming the prior group’s site approvals on the Mall. The legislation that we offer today would amend the 1986 enactment to authorize the Liberty Fund to raise money for and build this valuable memorial.
The time has come to recognize the sacrifice and the impact of the African Americans who fought for the birth of our country. I urge my colleagues to support the National Liberty Memorial Act.
From Maurice Barboza
National Mall Liberty Fund D.C.
maurice@libertyfunddc.org
Tel: 703-299-0408
efax: 1-360-252-8384
ETA: Forgot the website Liberty Fund DC