HR1699: HR1699 United Nations International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; 03/25/26; recognize

26 LC 112 3887 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 of1 the Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, as the United States of America approaches and celebra tes the 250th3 Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this milestone invites the nation to reflect4 upon the full story of its founding, recognizing both the ideals of liberty proclaimed in 17765 and the struggles endured by those who labored to make those ideals a reality for all people;6 and 7 WHEREAS, the United Nations International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the8 Transatlantic Slave Trade, observed annually on March 25, stand s as a solemn global9 recognition of the millions of African men, women, and children who were violently10 uprooted from their homelands and forced across the Atlantic Ocean through the horrors of11 the Middle Passage; and12 WHEREAS, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a new resolution in December13 2024 launching the Second International Decade for People of Af rican Descent, running14 from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2034, reaffirming the global commitment to justice,15 recognition, and development for African-descended peoples, linking the remembrance of16 H. R. 1699 - 1 - 26 LC 112 3887 the transatlantic slave trade to contemporary initiatives for equality, dignity, and reparative17 justice; and18 WHEREAS, the Union victory in the Civil War, culminating in General William Tecumseh19 Sherman's March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah, decisively weakened the20 Confederacy, contributed to the abolition of slavery in America , and was accompanied by21 Special Field Orders No. 15, an unprecedented directive grantin g land and resources to22 formerly enslaved African Americans; and23 WHEREAS, the Freedmen's Bureau in Georgia, where Bishop Henry McNeal Turner served24 with distinction, played a critical role during Reconstruction by providing support, education,25 legal protections, and resources to newly emancipated African Americans, advancing early26 efforts for Black self-determination, land ownership, and econo mic empowerment in the27 postwar South; and28 WHEREAS, Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, a Civil War chaplain and R econstruction29 legislator among the historic Original 33, helped write Georgia 's Reconstruction-era30 constitutions and championed the expansion of Black civic participation, securing the right31 to vote, hold office, and engage fully in public life for newly emancipated African32 Americans; and33 WHEREAS, Bishop Turner also established the African Methodist E piscopal Church in34 Georgia, strengthening the spiritual, educational, and civic foundation for African Americans35 in the state, and recognized the moral and material consequences of slavery by boldly calling36 for reparations in the form of restitution for stolen labor and human capital; and37 H. R. 1699 - 2 - 26 LC 112 3887 WHEREAS, the observance of March 25 also serves as a moment of education and38 reflection, reminding present and future generations of the historical forces that shaped the39 modern world and the ongoing responsibility to advance justice, human dignity, and racial40 equality; and41 WHEREAS, the City of Atlanta holds a special place in the globa l story of42 African-descended people, particularly through institutions suc h as Big Bethel African43 Methodist Episcopal Church, founded in 1847 and recognized as a National Historic44 Landmark, which served as the birthplace of Morris Brown College and as a spiritual, civic,45 and educational center often called "Sweet Auburn's City Hall" for its central role during the46 Civil Rights Movement; and47 WHEREAS, the Pan-African vision advanced by Bishop Turner helpe d inspire later48 movements for global Black unity, including the work of Marcus Garvey, who addressed the49 Atlanta community at Big Bethel AME Church on March 25, 1917, proclaiming a message50 of racial pride, unity, and redemption for people of African descent worldwide; and51 WHEREAS, the State of Georgia recognized the historical contrib utions of Bishop Henry52 McNeal Turner and the Reconstruction legislators known as the Original 33 through House53 Bill 303, acknowledging their enduring role in expanding democracy, civil rights, and the54 moral imperative of reparative justice; and55 WHEREAS, commemorating March 25, 2026, as the United Nations International Day of56 Remembrance of the Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade aff irms Atlanta's ongoing57 commitment to historical truth, global remembrance, and the pursuit of justice for all people,58 including the fulfillment of moral and reparative obligations identified by Bishop Turner.59 H. R. 1699 - 3 - 26 LC 112 3887 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that60 the members of this body recognize March 25, 2026, as the United Nations International Day61 of Remembrance of the Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, a powerful reminder that62 the pursuit of liberty, justice, human dignity, and reparative justice remains an unfinished63 journey—one that calls each generation to continue building a m ore just and equitable64 society.65 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized66 and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution avai lable for distribution to the67 public and the press.68 H. R. 1699 - 4 -