D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), announced Tuesday that the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a hearing this week on their Enslaved Voyages Memorial Act.
The bill, which passed the House in September, authorizes a memorial on federal land in the city to honor enslaved people.
The committee, chaired by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), will hold the hearing Thursday.
The memorial, if the bill becomes law, will be established by the Georgetown African American Historic Landmark Project and Tour. The memorial will celebrate District slaves’ contributions to history and recognize their resilience and fortitude.
“The memorial our bill authorizes will be a powerful marker of truth-telling and remembrance, and I am proud to have gotten it passed in the House,” Norton said. “Thank you to Senator Booker for introducing the companion bill in the Senate and to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for holding this important hearing. Let us honor the personhood of these individuals, who were repeatedly assumed to have none so that they will not be forgotten.”
Booker concurred with Norton’s sentiments.
“In a dark chapter of our nation’s history, millions of enslaved people were brought to this land against their will,” the senator said. “We must ensure that their stories and immense contributions are lifted up and never forgotten. I applaud the House for passing my Enslaved Voyages Memorial Act and commend the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for taking up this important legislation in their next hearing.”
