Present arms. [National Anthem] oh say can you see by the dawns early light. What so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ore the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh say does that starspangled banner yet wave oer the land of the free and the home of the brave [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Senate Chaplain barry c. Black. Chaplain black let us pray. God of our weary years and silent tears, you have brought us on this providential pilgrimage. Help us to keep our eyes on you and the prize. Thank you for this opportunity to recognize the historical importance of the arrival of africans to the shores in 1619. Lord, we are grateful for the strength you provided your ebony children, infusing them with a faith that wouldnt shrink, though pressed by many of foe. They validated the words of the eloquent poet who said, dark complexion cannot forfeit natures claims, skin may differ but affection dwells in black and white the same. Were i so tall as to reach the pole or to grasp the ocean at a span . I must be measured by my soul, the mind is the standard of the man, and i might add, the woman also. Thank you, lord, for the contributions of africanamericans to the greatness of this nation in these challenging and divided times. Use us all to carve tunnels of hope through mountains of despair. Holy god, bless and keep us, lest our feet stray from the places our god where first we met you, lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world we forget you. Sheltered beneath your hands may we forever stand true to you and true to our native land. Amen. Please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus the honorable karen bass from the 37th district of california. [applause] good morning, everyone. I want to welcome you to the commemoration of an important period in our nations history. I want to thank the legislative leaders, speakers, and the choir from Howard University, who you will hear from shortly, for taking the time to participate today. I also want to give special thanks to and for the leadership of representative Bonnie Coleman for her staff for planning todays event. [applause] i especially want to thank nancy pelosi for leading the Congressional Black Caucus. In august we participated in a pilgrimage that hundreds of africanamericans take each year, visiting the dungeons where our ancestors were held before beginning the horrific journey known as the transatlantic slave trade. Speaker pelosi joined in and joined in the ceremonies and tours and delivered a powerful address to the parliament of ghana on behalf of of our nation. [applause] so today we complete the journey we began in ghana. Todays commemoration is a recognition and acknowledgment of the beginning of the 256 year history of enslavement in our country, the period that began for our nation was officially the United States of america and ended with a civil war. A period in our history that was about the entire nation, not just about one region. Region of the nation. We are so fortunate to live in a some aging this amazing country with our incredible history. We celebrate certain parts of our history and the ideals that are the foundation of our country. We have been reluctant to examine and embrace all of our history. We cant just embrace the parts of our history that make us feel good, we need to embrace the parts that are difficult as well. The difficult parts dont disappear, even if we pretend they didnt happen, or if we just have a hard time believing that it couldnt have been that bad. The truth of the past lingers below the surface, leaving us perplexed why some challenges continue to today. All of our history is what makes this country a great country, acknowledging, learning and understanding are the first steps toward collective healing. The knowledge of the complete american story, hopefully encourages us all to continue to fight to build a more Perfect Union, a union where the ideals of our nation are not just a reality for some but we must continue to make the ideals of our nation a reality for all. Thank you. [applause] we now ask that you rise for the black National Anthem, the words are in your seat in the program. I ask that you read the words carefully because they are very meaningful. Thank you. Lift every voice and sing lift every voice and sing till earth and heaven ring ring with the harmonies of liberty lift our rejoice rise let it resound loud as the rolling sea sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us facing the rising sun of our new day begun let us march on let us march on to victory is won we have, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered out of the gloomy past till now we stand at last where the white gleam of our bright star is cast stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod, felt in the days when hope unborn had died; yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet come to the place for which our fathers sighed . We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last where the white gleam of our bright star is cast. God of our weary years god of our silent tears thou who has brought us thus far on the way thou who has by thy might lead us into the light keep us forever in the path, we pray lest our feet stray from the places, our god, where we met thee, last our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand true to god true to our native land [applause] do it again. Ladies and gentlemen, the republican leader of the United States house of representatives, the honorable kevin mccarthy. [applause] mr. Mccarthy thank you, friends and fellow americans, it is an honor to be here with you and commemorate the solemn occasion. Four centuries ago, european colonists propped forth on this continent a new form of slavery based on race. Among its many evils, slavery used people to get control, made it illegal to teach slaves to read and write, broke up between a fifth any third of all slave marriages. It led to many shameful moments by our government, some of which occurred in our own chambers, such as the infamous gag rule. Of course, we look back at this period with shame and remorse. But the underlying values of the american project prevailed in the end. Slavery was denounced as an abhorrent chapter of our nations history. Along the way, courageous individuals stood for what was right, even if it put their safety at risk. One of these individuals was Frederick Douglass. All know about douglas and his incredible biography. Confidence for freedom has always stood out for me. Douglas had every reason to hate america for the injustice he suffered, but he became one of americas greatest champions because he saw that it could renew its spirit by appealing to its core and supposed. Those principles contained old truths of human liberty. Using his gift as a writer and speaker, douglas motivated his fellow americans to line their professed believes with her actual practices. Heis extremely fitting that has a statue right here in emancipation hall. I am proud to say he has a portrait that hangs in my office. His accomplishments are an inspiration to anyone who believes in the importance of human equality, hard work, and freedom. Where are we as a country now, 150 years after the end of slavery . The Congressional Black Caucus is a great example of our countries sustained progress. Its 55 members, the largest number in its history, represent more than 182 million americans. That is more than one quarter of the whole country. Cbc members come from districts and states across the country and they are leaders at the highest level of our democracy. This congress is led by a friend of mine, and i did not meet her when i came to congress. I met her when we served together in the state assembly in california. If you ever ask her, she will tell you i was the first person who told her one day she would be the speaker for the state assembly in california, and i come from the other side of the aisle. My dear friend, karen bass. [applause] our nation isnt perfect and there is more progress to make, but we have taken significant strides in the right direction. Today is an example of that i that. I often think of my trips to selma with our dear friend john lewis, to celebrate the anniversary of the selma to montgomery march. When john peacefully walked across the bridge in 1965. State troopers met him with violence. 50 years later, he led that delegation. As i stood with senator tim scott and i watched our dear friend john lewis introduce president obama to a tremendous speech, everybody in that place had a tear of joy at how far our nation had grown. [applause] imagine what Frederick Douglass would say if he heard about that. The author of the Great American model the invisible man, said that americas woven of many strands, a fate has become one and yet many. That is not a prophecy, but a description. As we reflect on a solemn chapter in american story, we must think of additional ways to put the many aspects of our history front and center. There is more work to be done. As individuals, we have different backgrounds, but as americans we share something deeper. With humility about our history, faith in our principles and hope in our future, let us continue to deepen our common bonds and never fail to pursue our nations highest goal, to form a more Perfect Union. Thank you and god bless. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the democratic leader of the United States senate, the honorable charles schumer. [applause] sen. Schumer first, let me thank karen bass and the cbc for this moving and so important commemoration. In the midst of the civil war, president lincoln delivered his second inaugural address he said , if god wills that the war continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman 250 years of unrequited toil shall be sunk and every drop of blood drawn with the lash be paid by another with the sword, so it must be said, the judgments of the lord are true and righteous altogether. 400 years ago, they came here, 20 and odd africans, forcibly taken from their homelands, separated from their families, shackled below decks and a terrible journey to a strange land, never to return. So began the slave trade in the americas, the first of 12 and a half million men, women, and children brought across the atlantic in chains. It would take two and a half centuries and a civil war before slavery was finally stamped out. 100 years more before the descendents of those newly freed men and women would enjoy the full rights of citizenship. 60 years hence, the terrible legacy of slavery affects us still in real powerful, discernible ways every single day. This is not history, this is today. [applause] we cannot separate the story of slavery from the story of america, nor shrink from the hypocrisy embedded in our founding documents, which exulted the cause of human liberty while at the same time perpetuating the institution most aligned against it. We must be willing today and all days to stare history in the face and grapple with its consequences. For it is the duty of any great nation to recognize the sins of the past, admit them, teach them, but also work to make amends today, sheila, youre right. [applause] a few weeks ago, i listened to the 1619 project by the New York Times on podcast. I recommend it to everybody here. It is coming out every week. I was profoundly moved, touched by the story of one of its authors, Nicole Hannah jones. Growing up she questioned why her father, a black american who fought in americas wars overseas, but because of his race was denied equal treatment at home insisted on flying the American Flag outside their house. Her father had grown up in the deep south, one of the most racist parts of mississippi before moving after the war to waterloo, iowa. She heard in waterloo, iowa, how her father was denied housing and good jobs at work because he was a black man. As a teenager, she didnt say the pledge of allegiance or stand for the National Anthem, and she did not understand her fathers patriotism, questioning how a man denied the full rights of citizenship could be such a proud citizen. But then she remembered a teacher who asked each student in her class to report on their national heritage. The teacher asked, draw a flag of the country you came from and a few paragraphs to describe it. But because she was a descendent of slaves, ripped from her country, or her ancestors ripped from their country, and did not know where her ancestors came from, she simply chose a random flag in africa. She and the only other black child in her class did that and they talked about it. That experience helped her realize in later life as her father had realized, that america was their heritage, that because of slavery, america was the only country their ancestors had ever known where they were born, where they suffered, where their bones were buried. There was no choice but to strive to make america a country they could one day be proud of. [applause] sen. Schumer that impulse, a quintessentially american impulse to perfect our union fueled the mighty movements, many spearheaded by africanamericans to abolish slavery, extend the franchise, guarantee civil rights of all americans, and bring the ideals and reality of America Closer into alignment. It is now our job all of our job to follow in their footsteps. To unite against the tendrils of oppression and injustice that emanate from our history. In our criminal Justice System and health care system, the boardroom, and ballot box, on streets and in schools, for as far as we have come, our union is far from perfect. What the history books will say about us 400 years from now is entirely in our hands. Thank you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the republican whip of the United States senate, the honorable john thune. [applause] good morning. I want to thank congresswoman bass, members of the Congressional Black Caucus. There are still some from the days when i was in the house and i had the privilege of serving with as it was nice to see all of you. And all of the newer members as well. It is an honor to be here with senator schumer representing at this commemoration. Everyone is familiar with the image of america as promised land. For millions of people who have fled to these shores, that is exactly what it has been. That is only part of the american story. For the africans who were brought to these shores against their will, the journey to america was not a journey to the promised land. These men and women were not searching for the new homeland. They were being forced to leave one. Their voice in this country was spent in chains and in conditions of unspeakable brutality. At the end of the journey, it was not freedom that awaited them, but bondage. Not the promised land, but hundreds of years in the desert. We are here in emancipation hall, named for the slaves who helped build the capital building, labored to build a symbol of freedom, that they had no part of in a home for a government that they could not participate in. Its essential that we remember this part of the american story. That we remember the men, women and children who are brought to this country against their will, and kept in chains in a land dedicated to freedom. There is no undoing the sins of the past. But remembering them is an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the new freedom which lincoln spoke of, to renew the promise of liberty for each and every american. Thank you for having me here today. Its a privilege to be a part of this commemoration. Thank you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the speaker of the United States house of representatives, the honorable nancy pelosi. [applause] Speaker Pelosi good morning everyone. Good morning it is, thanks to the Congressional Black Caucus. Chairwoman karen bass, our colleague, where are you bonnie . Right in front. Thank you, for your leadership. Thank you for making this occasion possible for all of us. We thank the Congressional Black Caucus, the conscience of the congress for bringing together leaders of congress in the country for this solemn observance of 400 years since the first recorded arrival of enslaved africans arrival to america. I wanted to be here with schumer,p of leader gordon reed, alfre woodard, dr. Cole. A very special occasion for us to have you in the capital. On this day, we reflect on the hearts that denied the humanity of 70 millions of gods children. We welcome the unquestionable spirit of dignity, resilience, and strength, of a people, a new birth of freedom, for our entire nation. Here, in emancipation hall, named in honor of the people who of the enslaved people who built this temple democracy, we gathered over the years to mark the triumphant strategies tragedies in the journey toward freedom. Seeking to finally tell the full story. The unvarnished truth. In these halls, we dedicated statues to Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass, who have finally taken their rightful place in the u. S. Capital. In these halls, we have a stone marker. If you havent already, many of you here, when it was dedicated as an enduring tribute to the masons carpenters, painters, and other enslaved people who built the u. S. Capitol, giving the world this beacon of hope. Imagine. Not here, but in statuary hall, there is rosa parks. I am proud to say many of us here were instrumental in getting that statue into the capital of the United States. Now it is one of the most visited statues in the congress of the capital of the United States. [applause] she wanted and gave us instructions. She is seated. In these halls, we join the prayer on the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the 13th amendment, when our nation broke the shackles that debased the American Dream of justice and equality. As our democratic leader in the senate indicated, our founding documents left much to be desired, in terms of freedom. Thank god they were amendable. We celebrated the 13th amendment. 150th anniversary. [applause] the commemoration of the 400 years since the first arrival of enslaved africans to america is one of the most solemn steps in this journey of National Remembrance and reflection. This is an important day. Its an important day. The beginning of the slave trade is a part of American History. How humbling it was to travel with the Congressional Black Caucus to ghana for the year of return. To see that history firsthand. How humbling to be there with the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, karen bass, whose idea it was to make this pilgrimage. Under her leadership. To be there with congresswoman barbara lee, a member of the House Democratic leadership. To be there with john lewis, can you just imagine . I wish you could have heard the responses his name received in the parliament of ghana. John lewis, what an honor it was to travel with you. [applause] mr. Kaiperm, the highestranking africanamerican in the history of the house of representatives. Unfortunately illness prevents him from being with us today, and he has been so much a part of our remembering the unvarnished truth. Maybe i shouldnt say this, but when we were in ghana, my colleagues will attest, and there is a large number of members of the Congressional Black Caucus. I say this for Howard University, who sang so beautifully. I hope its ok with him that i say this, he wants to make the black National AnthemAmericas National hymn. [applause] he may have had a more formal announcement, dont tell anybody i told you that. [laughter] thats just between us here today. We saw the tragic sites were mans inhumanity was displayed against his fellow man. We saw the kidnappings were purchased were perpetrated for Human Dignity was denied. Many took their last glimpse at home for being sentenced to a life of slavery. Imagine it all right above the horrible places were they kept people in inhumane conditions. Above it was a chapel and a church. Imagine they could go to chapel and not see the inconsistency of their treatment of all of gods children. That they could go to chapel and not understand the spark of divinity existed in every person who was in those dungeons, and how they treated them before they put them through the door of no return. They walked through the door of no return now called the door of return. As we reentered with renewed sense of purpose to confront new confront injustice and oppression. It was their honor to see the our colleagues going through that door of return. I said what i said when i was address in the ghanian parliament. Being here has been a transformative experience for all of us. Our souls have been touched. What we saw here transformed how we go forward. If we are going to go forward to improve the future, we must acknowledge the past. We must tell the unvarnished truth as you see in the beautiful handouts we have. So much more work needs to be done. I know one thing we could do. I know mr. Hoyer has prepared to put it on the floor when everybody is ready. Its to pass the Voting Rights act as soon as possible. [applause] so that we can, shall we say, take advantage of the beautiful words being said, whether it is about selma or our history and how we have to go forward and do this, as we had done before, in a bipartisan way. Here in america, we rededicate ourselves as a nation and as a people to our ongoing pursuit of a more Perfect Union. Justice. Justice. Justice for all. We pray for mercy for guidance, and courage, as we seek to write the injustices of the past and forge a more hopeful future. It was so beautifully sung by the Howard University singers. As they saying that as they sang, we take our lead from them. Facing the rising sun as our new day began. Let us march until victory is done. Thank you very much. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, once again, the Howard University singers. Dont let nobody turn you around dont let them turn you around keep on walking keep on walking onto freedom land dont let no hatred turn you around dont let it turn you around dont let it turn you around. Dont let no hatred turn yuo turn you around keep on walking keep on talking marching onto freedom land dont let injustice turn you around dont let it turn you around dont let injustice turn you around keep on walking keep on talking marching onto freedom land aint gonna let nobody turn me around dont let them turn me around aint gonna let nobody turn me around keep on walking keep on talking marching onto freedom land keep on walking keep on talking marching onto freedom land keep on walking keep on talking marching onto freedom land [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, dr. Janetta cole. [applause] dr. Cole here in emancipation hall, a sacred place, it is a privilege for me to address members of the congress of the United States of america and special guests. We are here to commemorate a particular date, an event in the history of all americans. It was in august of 1619 that some 20 odd negroes landed in virginia. This date is indelibly associated with the beginning of the 400 year transatlantic slave trade. For centuries, African Women men and children were kidnapped, placed in shackles, and marched onto ships that waited to take this human cargo across the atlantic ocean. One African Writer wrote this of such crossings. The shrieks of the women and the groans of the dying rendered rove e scene of karl inconceivable. The African Women, men and children, managed to survive the horrific conditions on slave ships were offloaded and placed on auction blocks, where they were sold to the highest bidder. Thus they began a life of enslavement, working on plantations where an overseers whip across a black mans back demanded that he pick more cotton and a faster rate. And the rights of a slave owner included that women work alongside men in the fields, cook, clean and serve as nannies to his children. And, that women do what he said they must do. In the darkness of night. Slavery was a tremendous economic boom for america. Indeed, it was slavery that built the foundation of americas economic might. Let us not forget that so much else happened during enslavement. So much else happened that speaks to the capacity of a people to make a way out of no way. It is the resistance to enslavement and the resilience of an enslaved people that we must recognize and honor on this occasion. [applause] for example, it was illegal for an enslaved person to learn to read and write, but many found a way to acquire those skills. Some, like the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass, used their literacy in the interest of others. Enslaved people were forbidden to speak their native languages. Practice their indigenous religions, and play their music of their native lands. And yet, they found a way. A way to hold onto much of their african culture. To blend it with patterns, ideas and practices they encountered. Thus was born much of the flavor and substance in the music, dance, food, and style that is known throughout the world as uniquely american. The day finally came when enslavement was formally abolished. Not without the help of white abolitionists such as Elizabeth Margaret chandler. However, the struggles of africanamerican people were far from over. Our hearts and our bodies were broken again as the promises of reconstruction gave way to a period of terror that involved 4743 blackg of people between 18821968. We endured church bombings, harassment, Police Beatings and animal attacks. Like the brutalities inflicted on so many in the civil rights movement, including honorable congressman john lewis and others, who marched across the Edmund Pettus bridge in 1965. There were major victories, with the passing of the Voting Rights act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1965. And yet, African Americans are still secondclass citizens. Black americans are three times as likely as white americans to be killed by police. Even though they are twice as likely to be unarmed. Black men are more than six times as likely as white men to be incarcerated in our nations state and federal prisons and the incarceration rate of black women is twice that. That of white women. Today, black American Families earn just 57. 30 to every 100 in income earned by white families. For many health conditions, black americans bear a disproportionate burden of disease. And the resegregation of schools in our country is happening at an alarming rate. Why are there such stark differences in the Life Experiences of black and white americans . The answer is found in how enslavement and the use of and the years of Racial Discrimination that followed have affected each and every institution in our nation. And yet, our resilience and our patriotism leads us african we sayto live up. E all must do it but it leads us to believe that one day, in the words of the declaration of independence, all men, and yes, all women, too, will be acknowledged as created equal. Now surely we will always remember the sterling leadership roes likeheroes and she dr. Martin luther king jr. , dr. Dorothy irene height, and miss rosa parks. We remember there sterling leadership and the struggles of civil rights, womens rights, and human rights. And yet, every victory in these struggles required their persistence and sacrifice of ordinary people. Young and old. Women and men, children and allies of all races, religions and backgrounds. And so, we come to the question. What must each of us, you and i, and all americans of goodwill, do to move our country toward a more Perfect Union . As we continue to perfect our democracy, carrying on the struggles of previous generations, we must own our nations history of enslavement and Racial Discrimination. [applause] as the africanamerican writer James Baldwin has said, not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed that is not faced. Owning our history allows us to break free from its shadow. Empowering every american of goodwill to have the courage to challenge everyday expressions of bigotry and hatred. And to be a nonviolent activist against systemic inequality. Such inequality not only oppresses africanamericans, but countless other americans, because of their gender. Gender identity, their sexual orientation, class, age, religion, place of origin or disability. The congress of our country has a particular responsibility to enact laws that will bring us closer to the day. That day that dr. Martin luther king dreamed of. That day when every africanamerican, indeed, every american will say, because it will be true, free at last, free at last, great god almighty, we are free at last. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please woodard. Alfre alfre good morning. Good, good morning. Everyone, and it is a good morning because we are in it. Our grandmothers might have said it is a great getting up morning. [laughter] my mama said every day, morning, glory. With their faces to the rising sun, they offset the ideas in our hearts that the dawn held the promise of possibility. Ard, theis alfre wood declaration being all free. I am the daughter of mary and hugh woodard. I in the granddaughter of alexander woodard. I in the greatgranddaughter of alex woodard, born an enslaved man. They lived mighty lives. Ingenious, brave, determined, honorable and loving men in the lawless times. I lift them to the rightful recognition in this nation by speaking their name today in this vaunted hall. I come to this hall today to list the voices of my elizabeth freeman, who was the great grandmother of w. E. B. Dubois. She said, any time, while i was a slave, if one minute of freedom had been offered to me and i had been told i must die at the end of that minute, i would have taken it. Just to stand one minute on gods earth a free woman. I am humbled to my core to be standing here this morning between the rightful recognition of Frederick Douglass and the remarkable people whose forced labor built this great structure in which we continue to struggle towards perfecting our union. This is not a metaphor. This towering nation was built solidly up on the backs of our forbearers. The verdant landscape watered with the sweat and tears of the african cargo shipped to america. By my peoplesed blood. I dont know the names further back. [applause] i would like to know the names. I dont need to know the names. Their experiential dna is stamped all over me. I am imbued with their spirit. I am on fire with their determination to live free, to build in this land, and to claim this land. I am their daughter. Alfre because of that, every day, i walked this land in joy and in the beauty of soul. I lift the voice of harriet jacobs. She said, i once saw two beautiful children playing together. One was a fair white child. The other was her slave. Her sister, also. When i saw them embracing each other and i heard their joyous laughter, i turned sadly away from the lovely sight. I foresaw the inevitable light that would fall on the little slave girl. I knew how soon her laughter would be changed to sighs. From child to womanhood for the white child, her pathway was booming with flowers and over arched by a sunny sky. Scarcely one day of her life had been clouded when the sun rose on her happy bridal morning. How had those years dealt with her slave sister . Her little playmate of her childhood . She also was very beautiful. But the flowers and sunshine of love were not for her. She drank the cup of sin and shame and misery, whereof her persecuted race are compelled to drink. In view of these things, why are ye silent, ye free men and women of the north . Why do your tongues falter in maintenance of the right . Would that i had more ability, but my heart is so full and my pen is so weak. There are noble men and women who plead for us, striving to help those who cannot help themselves. God bless them. God give them strength. And mainly, courage to go on. God bless those everywhere who are laboring to advance the cause of humanity. Now if we are to be truthful, when speaking of forebears, we must instruct the young on who actually bore this nation. Who gave it life. Who labored it into being. That history, that inspiration, belongs to all of americas children. No matter their hue, no matter their parents port of departure or their time of arrival. The great gift from the enslaved people who not only survived the savage inhumanity of the middle passage, the hourly brutality of slavery, the lynching, the gutting, the burning terrors of jim crow, is that the enslaved and the children of the enslaved, not only survived, they flourished. Every day in this land, since the african arrived in bondage, has been a demonstration for the ages, of resilience, intelligence, perseverance, intuitiveness, discipline, and self actualization. How could we mark this truthful occasion without my sister elder, our newly, newly our ancestor, sister maya angelou. She said, and you can mouthe it along, because we know it you may write me down in history with your twisted bitter lies. You may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like the dust, i rise. Does my sassiness upset you . Where are you so beset by gloom . Because i walk like i have got oil wells pumping in my living room. Just like the moons like suns with the certainty of tides, like hopes springing high, still, i rise. Did you want to see me broken, bowed, head bowed and lowered eyes, shoulders falling down like teardrops, weakened by my soulful cries. Does my haughtiness offend you . Do not take it too awful hard. Because i laugh like i got gold mines digging in my backyard. You may shoot me with your words. You may cut me with your eyes. You may kill me with your hatefulness. But still, like the air, i rise. Does my sexiness upset you . Does it come as a surprise, that i dance like ive got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs . Out of the huts of historys shame, i rise. Up from a past that is rooted in pain, i rise. I am a black ocean leaping and wide. Welling and swelling, i bear in the tide, leaving behind nights of terror and fear, i rise into a daybreak that is wondrously clear. I rise, bringing gifts my ancestors gave, i am the dream and the hope of the slaves. I rise. I rise. I rise. Shirley chisholm, Marian Wright edelman, you are the dream and hope of the slave, calling cap colin kapernick, you are the dream realized carla hayden, brian stevenson, 55 cvc member strong, you are the dream and the hope of the slave fannie lou hamer, barbara jordan, barack obama, youre the dream and hope slave. Their trust to become a howard, colin powell. Colin powell, youre the dream. James baldwin, michelle obama, youre the hope. Donald glover, oprah winfrey, m jayz and ms. Carter, you are the dream, charles, drew, john lewis, john lewis. [applause] and every sadie, bulah, caledonia through the years and every kanisha, jamaal and latre to come. You are the dream. [applause] and the hope, of the slave. [cheers and applause] ladies and gentlemen please welcome professor annette garden reed. Youre going to make me follow that . It is really great to be here. Dr. Reed im honored to be here on this great occasion. As we commemorate the start of slavery in the english north america in 1619. I say english north america because we know that enslaved africans were in north america before 1619. As early as the early 1500s, brought by the spanish. There were africans all over the southwest part of the United States, texas, mexico places that we know long before the first unsuccessful english attempt to found a colony in roanoke in 1585, and later successful colony in jamestown in 1607. The notation about the arrival of 20 and odd negroes by john rolfe has been taken at the start of the system of stay very slavery that developed to change over the course of centuries there is dispute about the status of the africans. Were they immediately treated like enslaved people . Or were they more like indentured servants. My own position is that they did not leave the continent of africa as indentured servants. They were taken as enslaved people. Oh, the english were late to the slave trade. Following the portuguese, dutch, spanish. They well knew how africans were treated in the atlantic world. And they would have understood these peoples origins and what they were bound to the new world to do. There was no developed law of slavery when they arrived, that is true. But one does not need a legal code in order to use power to enforce slavery upon people. Custom carries great weight. The evidence indicates that there was an awareness of difference and different treatment very early on. When black and white servants commit a crime, the white servant had time added to his or her indenture, along with whatever Corporal Punishment was meted out. The black person received punishment, but there was no suggestion of additional time. Suggesting that their time was already perpetual. You cannot have time added on to lifetime slavery. Even before developed property laws on slavery, will gave people the increase of a particular person, meaning their children, indicating that slavery very early on, before there was a developed code, there was a notion that africans and their children, their descendents would be enslaved. In the initial decades after the arrival of africans, we see laws passed that marked them as inferior, and set the stage is for development of society that was put into place by 1776, when the United States of america was founded. Questions were raised and answered. Could christians keep other christians in bondage . What happened if an african happened to be baptized . Could he or she still be enslaved . That question was directed to the church of england and the answer was yes. Baptism into the Christian Faith did not change the status of the enslaved person. Or prevent a person from being enslaved. Should black and white people marry . The answer was no. How did you determine when a person could be enslaved . The answer, look to whether their mother was enslaved. If the mother was a slave, the child would be a slave. This rule, part of separa devantrum taken from the roman law. That was not the english colonists rules, that is not the rules they came over to north america with. The rule in england had been that you were what your father was. And you could think of what a difference that makes. Having status go to the mother allowed the owner of the mother to capture the economic value when the child was born. The sexuality of women was under greater control than that of men. And men could have more children than women. Allowing status to go through the males would have created a large class of mixed race free people. This was not a favorite outcome. Virginia continued in this piecemeal fashion of writing slavery. And it should be said white supremacy, into law. It was not until the beginning of the 18th century, however, that virginia developed a fullfledged slave code. Even before there was the United States, slavery was in place as was a racial hierarchy that has stubbornly resisted extinction. We know, that the vast bulk of the millions of people torn from africa and brought to the new world ended up in south america, brazil particularly, and the west indies. Scholars estimate that only around 750,000 africans came to the mainland of north america. Out of the millions who were torn from africa. By the time of the civil war, that number had gone to over 4 Million People. That number has continued to rise to over 13 Million People today. It is fitting that we take note of the journey of africans to north america. We have made progress. But theres no doubt that we are still grappling with rules, ideas, and notions that were already put into place in 1619, about who africans were and what place they should occupy in the world. Knowing the history of our beginnings, and how we have made that journey up until now, will help us carry the battle into the future. That is the hope. That alfre talked about and that maya angelou talked about, the hope in the eye of the slave, that we would not forget the legacy, not forget what happened to them, and the debt we owe them that we could be able to stand here and in emancipation hall and commemorate this very important day. Thank you very much. [applause] announcer American History tv is on social media. Follow us at cspan history. 1607,cer founded in jamestown virginia was the first English Settlement in north america. The summer of 1619, marked the arrival of the first african slaves and the first meeting of the general assembly. Which established Representative Government in the colonies. Next, on American History tv, a commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the first virginia general assemy