Today: House to Vote on Norton Bill Authorizing Establishment of Memorial for Enslaved Persons

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that her bill to authorize the establishment of a memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia to honor enslaved persons will be on the House floor for a vote on today, September 19, 2022. The memorial, to be established by the Georgetown African American Historic Landmark Project and Tour, would honor enslaved persons’ presence, celebrate their contributions to history and recognize their resilience and fortitude. Senator Cory Booker (D-NY) introduced the bill in the Senate.

“The memorial my bill authorizes will exist as a powerful marker of truth-telling and remembrance, and I am proud to have worked to bring it to a vote,” Norton said. “Thank you to Senator Cory Booker for introducing the Senate companion bill. Let us honor the personhood of these individuals, who were repeatedly assumed to have none, so that they will never be forgotten.”

###