News from
CONGRESSMAN
LOUIS STOKES
11th District, Ohio
2365 Rayburn H.O.B.
(202) 225-7032
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 15, 1997
MEDIA
CONTACT
JOYCE LARKIN
CONGRESSMAN STOKES AUTHORS
HISTORIC LEGISLATION:
ESTABLISHES NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD NETWORK
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Today was a historic
day in the United States Congress. With the strong
endorsement of 70 of his colleagues, United States
Congressman Louis Stokes (D-OH)
introduced the “National
Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1997.”
In a
moving press conference held prior to the bill’s
introduction, Stokes said that with the Underground
Railroad, “America saw the birth of a movement that would
carry masses of people from slave quarters in the South to
freedom in the Northern cities, Mexico, Canada and the
Caribbean. There can be no doubt that the Underground
Railroad helped thousands of Americans regain the freedom
and human dignity they were endowed with at birth.”
“The National Underground
Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1997” seeks to educate
all people about this important episode in American history.
Further, it seeks to bring people together by facing the
lingering vestiges of our nation’s past, so that we can find
common ground as a people and move forward. Under the
legislation, the National Park Service will be charged with
linking historic buildings and structures relating to the
Underground Railroad. The Park Service is also charged with
identifying routes, geographic areas, and corridors
associated with the Underground Railroad. Lastly, the
National Park Service will provide technical assistance and
support to museums, institutions and centers to facilitate
the telling of the story of the Underground Railroad. These
responsibilities are not limited to activities within the
United States. The legislation also enables the Secretary of
the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements and
memorandums of understanding with the governments of Canada,
Mexico and appropriate countries in the Caribbean.
The Underground Railroad,
which flourished from the end of the 18th century
to the end of the Civil War, was one of the most significant
expressions of the American Civil Rights Movement.
CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
WASHINGTON, DC 20515
PRESS CONFERENCE
Introduction of the
“Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Bill”
Thursday, May 15, 1997
10:00 a.m.
2247 Rayburn House Office Building
Agenda
Opening Remarks……….Representative Louis
Stokes (D-OH)
Remarks………………….Representative Bob Portman
(R-OH)
Remarks………………….Senator Michael DeWine (R-OH)
Historical Perspective…….Dr. Charles Blockson,
Temple University
Remarks…………………..Members of Congress in
Attendance
Questions and Answers
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