Members push for recognition for slaves who constructed Capitol

A task force that includes current and former members of Congress has recommended that the great hall in the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) be renamed Emancipation Hall to recognize the contributions of African-American slaves.

“It’s easy to forget … that the very floors and walls that surround us were constructed in part by those who knew no liberty,” Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) said in testimony at a House Administration Committee hearing on Wednesday.

{mosads}“The recognition of slaves as an important part of the fabric of our nation’s history is long overdue,” Ehlers said.

Congressional leaders created the task force in 2005 to offer recommendations on how to properly recognize enslaved African-Americans who built the Capitol. The lack of recognition has been a sore spot for black lawmakers.

“As visitors walk through the halls of this building, they do not see anything that tells the story of African-American slaves who helped build this magnificent building: no drawings, no murals, no statues, nothing,” said Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil rights legend and task force member.

“We look back today, not to open old wounds, but to ensure that we tell the story — the complete story, the whole story — of those slaves so their toils are never forgotten,” Lewis said.

The six-member task force offered nine recommendations on how to honor African-Americans who built the Capitol, including that the Capitol contain an exhibit honoring slaves. They also said Capitol guides should be trained so that they call tell visitors the story of how slaves built the Capitol.

There is already a push to name the CVC’s great hall the Emancipation Hall. Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) has introduced legislation, which he said he expects to be considered on the House floor soon.

The panel now will present its report to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) before moving to secure funds to fulfill its recommendations. “We’re going to need a sizable appropriation,” Lewis said.

The $621 million CVC, which has suffered from cost overruns and is behind schedule, is slated to open in November 2008.