Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

ENROLLED ORIGINAL

                                        A RESOLUTION

                                              25-95

                   IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

                                          April 4, 2023

To declare the sense of the Council that the Mayor should, in consultation with the Council,

       establish a commission to plan for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s

       founding and that in its planning the commission should embrace the complete history of

       the District and amplify the fight for statehood.

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

resolution may be cited as the “Sense of the Council on the Establishment of an America250

Commission Resolution of 2023”.

         Sec. 2. The Council finds that:

                 (1) On July 4, 2026, the United States and the District will celebrate the 250th

anniversary of the founding of the nation (known as the “Semiquincentennial”) as marked by the

ratification of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Declaration of Independence and

the historic events preceding its signing have had a profound influence throughout the world.

                 (2) The ideals articulated in the Declaration of Independence—that all people are

created equal and that government derives its power from the consent of the governed—are

especially meaningful to the residents of the District, who still lack representation in the United

States Congress as well as full autonomy over their local affairs.

                 (3) To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, tens of

thousands of visitors will travel to the District. This presents the District with a unique

opportunity to tell its complete story and to showcase that it is more than the seat of federal

government but also a thriving and diverse city worthy of statehood.

                 (4) In 2016, Congress established the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission

(“federal commission”) to “provide for the observance and commemoration of the 250th

anniversary . . . through local, State, national, and international activities.”

                 (5) The federal commission’s goal is that every state, territory, and the District

form a state-level America250 commission by the end of 2023. Currently, 21 states have formed,

or are in the process of forming, such commissions.

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         Sec. 3. It is the sense of the Council that:

                 (1) The Mayor should establish an America250 Commission (“Commission”) for

the District of Columbia, composed of members appointed by both the Mayor and the Council;

                 (2) In leading the planning for the 250th anniversary, the Mayor should, in

consultation with the Council, ensure that the Commission is attuned to the goal of strategically

telling the District’s story to emphasize the history of the District and the nation;

                 (3) In its planning, the Commission should be directed to go beyond merely

celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding to, in addition, commemorating the

entire history of the District—from the local cultural, social, and political leaders who have

helped shape the nation’s history to the difficult histories of racism, slavery, and segregation

central to the stories of both the District and the broader nation;

                 (4) To further this goal, the Commission should include:

                          (A) Experts on the history of Black culture, identity, and political power at

the core of the movements for home rule and statehood in the District;

                          (B) Local historians, statehood advocates, and leaders in the arts, culture,

and philanthropy;

                          (C) Representatives from the University of the District of Columbia, the

Historical Society of Washington, D.C., and the District of Columbia Archives;

                          (D) Representatives from District civic associations and Main Streets; and

                          (E) Representatives from Events DC, the New Columbia Statehood

Commission, and the DC Public Library;

                 (5) In selecting the members of the Commission, the Mayor and Council should

ensure that all 8 Wards are represented and that the Commission is reflective of diverse and

historically marginalized voices from across the District; and

                 (6) The Mayor and the Council should prepare to adequately fund the

commemoration of the 250th anniversary, and that the Mayor should include necessary funds for

the Commission in her proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

         Sec. 4. The Council shall transmit a copy of this resolution, upon its adoption, to the

Mayor.

         Sec. 5. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

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