HR 1699: United Nations International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; 03/25/26; recognize

House Resolution 1699

By: Representatives Jackson of the 68th, Mitchell of the 88th, Reese of the 140th, Okoye of the 102nd, Beckles of the 96th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing March 25, 2026, as the United Nations International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, as the United States of America approaches and celebrates the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this milestone invites the nation to reflect upon the full story of its founding, recognizing both the ideals of liberty proclaimed in 1776 and the struggles endured by those who labored to make those ideals a reality for all people; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, observed annually on March 25, stands as a solemn global recognition of the millions of African men, women, and children who were violently uprooted from their homelands and forced across the Atlantic Ocean through the horrors of the Middle Passage; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a new resolution in December 2024 launching the Second International Decade for People of African Descent, running from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2034, reaffirming the global commitment to justice, recognition, and development for African-descended peoples, linking the remembrance of the transatlantic slave trade to contemporary initiatives for equality, dignity, and reparative justice; and

WHEREAS, the Union victory in the Civil War, culminating in General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah, decisively weakened the Confederacy, contributed to the abolition of slavery in America, and was accompanied by Special Field Orders No. 15, an unprecedented directive granting land and resources to formerly enslaved African Americans; and

WHEREAS, the Freedmen's Bureau in Georgia, where Bishop Henry McNeal Turner served with distinction, played a critical role during Reconstruction by providing support, education, legal protections, and resources to newly emancipated African Americans, advancing early efforts for Black self-determination, land ownership, and economic empowerment in the postwar South; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, a Civil War chaplain and Reconstruction legislator among the historic Original 33, helped write Georgia's Reconstruction-era constitutions and championed the expansion of Black civic participation, securing the right to vote, hold office, and engage fully in public life for newly emancipated African Americans; and

WHEREAS, Bishop Turner also established the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Georgia, strengthening the spiritual, educational, and civic foundation for African Americans in the state, and recognized the moral and material consequences of slavery by boldly calling for reparations in the form of restitution for stolen labor and human capital; and

WHEREAS, the observance of March 25 also serves as a moment of education and reflection, reminding present and future generations of the historical forces that shaped the modern world and the ongoing responsibility to advance justice, human dignity, and racial equality; and

WHEREAS, the City of Atlanta holds a special place in the global story of African-descended people, particularly through institutions such as Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded in 1847 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark, which served as the birthplace of Morris Brown College and as a spiritual, civic, and educational center often called "Sweet Auburn's City Hall" for its central role during the Civil Rights Movement; and

WHEREAS, the Pan-African vision advanced by Bishop Turner helped inspire later movements for global Black unity, including the work of Marcus Garvey, who addressed the Atlanta community at Big Bethel AME Church on March 25, 1917, proclaiming a message of racial pride, unity, and redemption for people of African descent worldwide; and

WHEREAS, the State of Georgia recognized the historical contributions of Bishop Henry McNeal Turner and the Reconstruction legislators known as the Original 33 through House Bill 303, acknowledging their enduring role in expanding democracy, civil rights, and the moral imperative of reparative justice; and

WHEREAS, commemorating March 25, 2026, as the United Nations International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade affirms Atlanta's ongoing commitment to historical truth, global remembrance, and the pursuit of justice for all people, including the fulfillment of moral and reparative obligations identified by Bishop Turner.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize March 25, 2026, as the United Nations International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, a powerful reminder that the pursuit of liberty, justice, human dignity, and reparative justice remains an unfinished journey—one that calls each generation to continue building a more just and equitable society.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press.