Congressman Charles Rangel last week joined an effort in the House to commemorate the enslaved Blacks who built the U.S. Capitol by constructing a statue in their honor in the Capitol's Emancipation Hall.

“Thousands of Black men and women held in bondage lent their bodies and their lives to the construction of the Capitol building,” Rangel said. “A statue in their collective honor would serve as a reminder of their contributions and of how far we have come. Their names may be unknown to the Capitol's visitors, but to their families, their peers, and their friends, they were human beings, made of flesh and blood − not stone. Our nation is great, not in spite of the mistakes of our past, but because we acknowledge them, remember them, and use them to strive towards a more perfect union."

If enacted the measure, led by Congressman Gary Ackerman of New York, would authorize the Architect of the Capitol to commission of a statue within 180 days of the bill’s enactment.

“The creation of this statue would be the least we can do to pay tribute to the blood, sweat and tears of the slaves who help build the Capitol of the free world,” Ackerman said. “Throughout our nation’s history, little has been known about the role that slave labor played in the construction of the U.S. Capitol. Hopefully, the displaying of this statue would continue Congress’ efforts to remedy this shameful omission from history and ensure that the story of these slaves is not only told, but never forgotten.”

Construction of the Capitol began in earnest in 1793 and lasted until 1826. The number of enslaved Blacks who participated in its construction is not known, but records note the first names of various enslaved Americans who participated. Enslaved Blacks not only quarried the stone that makes up the building's floors, walls, and columns, but they were involved in carpentry, masonry, carting, rafting, roofing, plastering, glazing, painting, and sawing. One enslaved man, Philip Reed, notably forged the Statue of Freedom that sits atop the Capitol Dome. By the time the statue was placed there in 1863, Reed had gained his freedom.

Congressman Rangel has also introduced legislation, H.Con.Res. 73, commemorating the 1801 British Slave Trade Abolishment Act − an act that represented a blow to the practice of human trafficking for the purposes of slavery and set a legal precedent for abolition in the United States.

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