# Plain Language Summary: Original Slavery Remembrance Day Resolution

This resolution designates August 20th as "Slavery Remembrance Day" to be observed annually across the United States. The date was chosen because August 20, 1619, marks when the first 20 enslaved Africans were forcibly brought to what is now Hampton, Virginia—a pivotal moment in American history. The resolution asks Congress to officially recognize this day and calls on the President to issue a proclamation encouraging Americans to observe it with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

The resolution is primarily symbolic and educational in nature. It doesn't create any new laws or impose requirements on individuals or businesses. Instead, it serves as an official statement from Congress condemning slavery and its lasting effects on American society. The resolution acknowledges the horrors of slavery—including the brutal Middle Passage, family separations, inhumane working conditions, and the violence enslaved people endured—and honors those who fought against it, like Harriet Tubman and the early Black members of Congress during Reconstruction.

The resolution also recognizes that slavery's impact didn't end with the 13th Amendment in 1865. It explicitly connects slavery to what came after: Jim Crow laws, lynching, segregation, police brutality, mass incarceration, and systemic racism that continues affecting descendants of enslaved people today. By establishing this remembrance day, Congress is essentially saying that understanding this history and its ongoing consequences matters for the nation.

For most Americans, this resolution won't directly change their daily lives. However, if passed, it would give official recognition to August 20th as a day for reflection, education, and commemoration. Schools, communities, and organizations could use it as an opportunity to teach about slavery's history and its lasting effects on American society.

Original Slavery Remembrance Day Resolution

Green, Al

Original Slavery Remembrance Day Resolution This joint resolution designates a Slavery Remembrance Day annually and condemns slavery and its progenies.