400 Years of African-American History Commission Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of H.R. 1242, the 400 Years of African- American History Commission Act, introduced by Congressman Bobby Scott of Virginia.

H.R. 1242 establishes a historical commission commemorating the 400th
anniversary of the arrival of Africans in Virginia in 1619. The bill creates a commission to plan programs and activities in 2019 to recognize the arrival, influence, and historical importance of Africans in America.

Congress has previously established similar commissions to celebrate historical anniversaries. For example, there was a commission on the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, and the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, Florida.

As we reach the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in Virginia, establishing this commission allows for the opportunity to acknowledge the horrible impact slavery has had in America. This is an opportunity to commemorate the resilience and contributions of African Americans in our country. While that chapter in our history is a painful one, this is a story that must be told to acknowledge how profoundly unrecognizable our Nation would be without the contribution of African Americans.

The commission will work with State and local groups to coordinate the commemoration and public education. The commission will be funded by private donations, not taxpayer dollars, and will terminate shortly after the anniversary activities conclude. The bill authorizes the commission to provide grants to further the historical and cultural activities carried out in commemoration of the anniversary.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved this bill on March 28, 2017.
I thank Congressman Scott for his leadership on this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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