ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 165
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED NOVEMBER 21, 2022
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Congress and President to enact African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution respectfully urging Congress and the President of the United States to enact the African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act.
Whereas, Slavery and various forms of discrimination against African-Americans is a critical and tragic aspect of history for the United States and for New Jersey; and
Whereas, Slavery legally existed for hundreds of years in the United States and New Jersey before the Civil War; and
Whereas, New Jersey allowed slavery to continue longer than any other Northern state; and
Whereas, New Jersey enacted the Gradual Abolition Act in 1804; and
Whereas, The Thirteenth Amendment banning slavery became part of the United States Constitution in December 1865, and this State ratified the Thirteenth Amendment in January 1866; and
Whereas, Before and after the end of slavery, African-Americans faced discrimination and segregation, often authorized by law; and
Whereas, African-Americans were often buried in unmarked graves and in unrecorded burial grounds prior to and after the end of slavery; and
Whereas, Many unmarked and unrecorded burial grounds for African-Americans have been discovered and identified when inadvertently disturbed by construction; and
Whereas, Senate Bill No. 3667 of the 2021-2022 session, pending before the Senate of the United States, establishes the United States African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Program; and
Whereas, The purpose of the United States African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Program is to identify, interpret, research, preserve, and record unmarked, previously abandoned, and underserved African-American burial grounds; and
Whereas, The bill authorizes the National Park Service to coordinate with and provide grants to state, tribal, local, and non-governmental entities in order to accomplish the programs purpose; and
Whereas, The United States African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Program is one method of acknowledging the tragedies of slavery, discrimination, and segregation; and
Whereas, The program will encourage the discovery and preservation of the stories of African-Americans; and
Whereas, Many unmarked or unrecorded African-American burial grounds within the programs scope are located in New Jersey; and
Whereas, Preservation of African-American burial grounds is valuable to understanding this States history and respecting the deceased residents buried there; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):
1. The Legislature of this State respectfully urges Congress and the President of the United States to enact the African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act in order to establish the United States African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Program.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges Congress and the President of the United States to enact the African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act to establish the United States African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Program.
New Jersey shares in the history of slavery, discrimination, and segregation suffered by African-Americans in the United States. New Jersey was the last Northern state to prohibit slavery. Before and after the end to slavery, African-Americans were often buried in unmarked, unrecorded, or segregated burial grounds. Due to lack of records, burial grounds for African-Americans have often been identified in the United States when inadvertently disturbed by construction. There are many such burial grounds in New Jersey.
The African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act authorizes the National Park Service to coordinate with state, tribal, local, and other entities to identify and preserve certain African-American burial grounds. The act authorizes federal financial support for such entities to further this purpose.