Norton on Floor Today With Bill to Honor Slaves Who Helped Build the Capitol (11/13/07)

^{Norton on Floor Today With Bill to Honor Slaves Who Helped Build the Capitol
November 13, 2007}

^{Washington, DC-Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today managed on the House floor the bill to name a major historical hall to commemorate the slaves who helped build the U.S. Capitol building. Norton said, "These nameless slaves, many of them skilled in the crafts, got no wages for their work, but they will finally at least receive some recognition with today's House passage of H.R. 3315 that names the great hall of the new Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) "Emancipation Hall," to honor of their contributions. Norton, chair of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the naming and designation of public spaces in the Capitol building, cosponsored H.R. 3315. The bill passed by a voice vote on the suspension calendar this afternoon. It's expected to pass with a recorded vote in the House this evening and then will be sent to the Senate for expected passage.}

^{The CVC will be the newest and largest addition to the Capitol in its 212 year history upon completion in the fall of next year. More than three million people visit the Capitol each year. However, few are aware of the untold stories of the black slave laborers because today little remains on Capitol Hill that bears their imprint, not even a marker. Norton said they she will ask that a marker be placed in the great hall specifically noting why the space is named Emancipation Hall.}

^{In 2004 congressional leaders directed the Architect of the Capitol to produce a report on the history of slave labor in the construction of the Capitol. The 29-page report examined the efforts of slaves that helped to build federal buildings, including the Capitol and the White House. The report revealed that slaves built numerous landmarks symbolic of American freedom, including Faneuil Hall in Boston, and Independence Hall in Pennsylvania, as well as the Virginia homes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The report also noted that there were impressive numbers of skilled "Negro hires," blacks who were essentially employed to build major projects in the nation's capital, while their slave owners pocketed their "wages." Financial records of the District of Columbia show that hundreds of slave owners residing in D.C. received payments for the work done by these "unappreciated and uncompensated" black laborers," Norton said. "Undoubtedly, no public structure was built in the nation's capital without slave labor in the 19th century, considering that slavery here was not abolished until 1863. Emancipation Hall is so large and majestic that it will somehow stand as a tribute to them all. The designation of this gracious and welcoming space as will have an important emancipating effects."}

^{The $500 million CVC construction project will beef up security, reduce long lines to tour the Capitol and provide visitors with a more enjoyable and educational experience. The CVC is a Norton priority, not only because it has become a necessity for the Capitol, but also because the new attraction is important to her emphasis on enhancing tourism here. She held a hearing on the Emancipation Hall bill in October and earlier on the entire visitor center. Norton also has a bill to place two statues in honor of prominent figures in the history of the District of Columbia in the Capitol's Statuary Hall, where there already are statues honoring notables from the 50 states.}