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File #: 030131    Version: 0 Name:
Type: Privileged Resolution Status: ENACTED
File created: 2/27/2003 In control: CITY COUNCIL
On agenda: Final action: 2/27/2003
Title: Recognizing February 25, 2003 as Reparations Awareness Day and urging the U.S. Congress to pass H.R. 40 and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to pass H.B. 315, both entitled the "Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act."
Sponsors: Councilmember Nutter, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Ortiz, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Cohen, Council President Verna, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Mariano
Attachments: 1. Resolution No. 03013100.pdf
Title
Recognizing February 25, 2003 as Reparations Awareness Day and urging the U.S. Congress to pass H.R. 40 and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to pass H.B. 315, both entitled the "Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act."
Body
WHEREAS, Approximately 4,000,000 Africans and their descendants were enslaved in the United States and in the colonies that became the United States from 1619 to 1865; and

WHEREAS, The institution of slavery was constitutionally and statutorily sanctioned by the United States Government from 1789 through 1865; and

WHEREAS, The institution of slavery resulted in the immoral and inhumane deprivation of life, liberty and justice as well as the denial of the rights and privileges of citizenship to Africans; and

WHEREAS, A thorough examination of the effects of the institution of slavery on living African Americans and the society in the United States has not been undertaken; and

WHEREAS, H.R.40, introduced by U.S. Congressman John Conyers, and H.B. 315 originally introduced by the late State Representative David P. Richardson, Jr. and re-introduced by State Representative John Myers, both call for the creation of a commission whose duties shall be: to examine the institution of slavery within the United States; to examine the de jure and de facto discrimination against freed slaves and their descendants from the end of the Civil War to present; to examine the lingering negative effects of the institution of slavery; and, to recommend appropriate remedies to Congress and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America is dedicated to realizing reparations for African Americans, is working toward passage of H.R. 40 and H.B. 315, and has launched a National Reparations Awareness Campaign; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we recognize February 25, 2003 as Reparations Awarene...

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