Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

ENROLLED ORIGINAL

                               A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION

                                              24-36

                   IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

                                          April 6, 2021

To recognize the anniversary of Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia on April 16,

       2021, honor the history of this important day, and to reflect on the progress made and the

       progress still needed to achieve racial equity and justice for Black District residents.

      WHEREAS, slavery in the District of Columbia region increased after 1790, when

Congress passed the Residence Act to move the nations capital from Philadelphia to the

Potomac River 10 years later;

       WHEREAS, in anticipation of the capitals move, the federal government began

construction of the U.S. Capitol Building and the White House, using slave labor;

       WHEREAS, despite building the city we all call home today, Black men and women

were not freed until 1862, over 70 years later;

       WHEREAS, on April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law, the District

of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act abolishing slavery in the nations capital, 9

months ahead of the abolition of slavery nationally through the Emancipation Proclamation of

1863;

       WHEREAS, with the signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act, 3,100 enslaved

Black men, women, and children were emancipated, making them the first slaves freed in the

Unites States during the Civil War;

        WHEREAS, in April 1866, formerly enslaved District residents began an annual tradition

of celebrating the anniversary of their freedom with a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue every

April 16th;

       WHEREAS, every sitting United States President from 1866 to 1901 received the District

of Columbia Emancipation Day Parade;

      WHEREAS, on March 8, 2000 during the Twenty Seventh Legislative Session, the

Council of the District of Columbia unanimously approved the District of Columbia

                                                1

                                                                     ENROLLED ORIGINAL

Emancipation Day Emergency Amendment Act of 2000 to establish April 16th as a legal private

holiday, and former Mayor Anthony A. Williams signed it into law on March 23, 2000;

         WHEREAS, in 2002, the District of Columbia passed the District of Columbia

Emancipation Day Fund Emergency Act of 2002, reinitiating the annual tradition began by the

first freed slaves in 1866;

       WHEREAS, in 2004, Mayors Order 2004-35, established the Emancipation

Commemoration Commission to develop plans, programs, projects, and activities to celebrate the

holiday, to highlight the struggle to overcome slavery, and to profile the African American

experience in the struggle for freedom, justice, and equality;

        WHEREAS, on November 30, 2004, the District of Columbia Emancipation Day Parade

and Fund Act of 2004, established the Emancipation Day Fund to receive and disburse funds for

the Emancipation Day Parade and activities associated with the celebration and commemoration

of the District of Columbia Emancipation Day;

       WHEREAS, in 2005, the District of Columbia Emancipation Day Amendment Act of

2004 established April 16th as a legal public holiday;

      WHEREAS, Emancipation Day in the District is a day of celebration of the freedom of

men and women who should never have been enslaved;

       WHEREAS, along with celebration, Emancipation Day is a reminder that the abolition of

slavery was only the first step of many in the fight for equal rights and protection for Black

Americans, which continues to this day, over a century later;

       WHEREAS, gentrification threatens the ability of Black residents and business owners to

remain in their city, which their ancestors literally built;

        WHEREAS, this Emancipation Day requires reflection on the events of this past year and

the stark disparities that exist between Black communities and others, including in treatment by

law enforcement, in health care as COVID-19 pandemic rages, in educational outcomes, and in

public investment;

       WHEREAS, Emancipation Day is a call to action for every single person in the District

of Columbia that we must work together to end structural and systemic racism in our government

and society; and

        WHEREAS, the fight for racial equity continues today and Emancipation Day signifies

that the District can lead the nation just as it lead the nation in abolishing slavery.

                                               2

                                                                       ENROLLED ORIGINAL

        RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this

resolution may be cited as the Emancipation Day Recognition Resolution of 2021.

        Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia celebrates the anniversary of the abolition

of slavery in the District and recognizes the significance of the history of Emancipation Day and

the reminder of continued need for progress it provides.

       Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

                                                3