123STA T . 3 5 5 6CON C UR R E NT RESO L UT I ONS —J UL Y 1 0, 200 9Wher e as e n s l a v e dAf r ic an - A m ericans als op ar t icipated in other facets of constr u ction of the C apitol , includin g carpentr y , masonry, carting, rafting, roofing, plastering, gla z ing, painting, and sa w ing
Whereas the mar b le columns in the O ld S enate Chamber and the sandstone walls of the E ast F ront corridor remain as the lasting legacies of the enslaved African-Americans who wor k ed the q uarries; Whereas slave-quarried stones from the remnants of the original Capitol walls can be found in R ock Creek P ark in the D istrict of Columbia; Whereas the Statue of Freedom now atop the Capitol dome could not have been cast without the pivotal intervention of Philip Reid, an enslaved African-American foundry worker who deci- phered the puzzle of how to separate the 5 -piece plaster model for casting when all others failed; Whereas the great hall of the Capitol V isitor Center was named Emancipation H all to help acknowledge the work of the slave laborers who built the Capitol; Whereas no narrative on the construction of the Capitol that does not include the contribution of enslaved African-Americans can fully and accurately reflect its history; Whereas recognition of the contributions of enslaved African-Ameri- cans brings to all Americans an understanding of the continuing evolution of our representative democracy; and Whereas a marker dedicated to the enslaved African-Americans who helped to build the Capitol will reflect the charge of the Capitol Visitor Center to teach visitors about Congress and its development
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ow, therefore, be it Resolv e dbyth e H o u seo f Re pr ese n t a t i ves ( the S enate c oncur - rin g),SECTION1.PLA CE M ENT O F MA RK ER IN CAPITOL V ISITOR CENTER TO ACKNO W LE DG E ROLE OF SLAVE LA B OR IN CONSTR U CTION OF CAPITOL. ( a ) P ROCU R EM E NTA N D P L ACEMENT O FM AR K ER .—T he Architect of the Capitol, sub j ect to the approval of the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, shall design, procure, and place in a prominent location in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center a marker which acknowledges the role that slave labor played in the construction of the U nited States Capitol. (b) CR I TERIA FOR DE S I G N OF MARKER.— I n developing the design for the marker required under subsection (a), the Architect of the Capitol— ( 1 ) shall take into consideration the recommendations developed by the Slave L abor Task Force Working G roup; ( 2 ) shall, to the greatest e x tent practicable, ensure that the marker includes stone which was quarried by slaves in the construction of the Capitol; and ( 3 ) shall ensure that the marker includes a plaque or inscription which describes the purpose of the marker. Agreed to J uly 1 0 , 200 9 .
