This joint resolution designates August 20th as "Slavery Remembrance Day," an annual observance to commemorate enslaved people and remind Americans of slavery's evils and lasting impacts. The bill specifically marks August 20, 1619, the date when the first enslaved Africans arrived at Point Comfort in Virginia. The resolution provides extensive historical documentation of slavery's horrors—including the Middle Passage, family separations, and brutal working conditions—as well as stories of resistance by figures like Harriet Tubman and Nat Turner, and it recognizes African American members of Congress who served during Reconstruction. The resolution contains no fiscal appropriations or specific funding mechanisms; it requests that the President issue a proclamation encouraging Americans to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. There are no implementation timelines specified beyond designating the annual observance.
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