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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION


 

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    WHEREAS, Approximately 4,000,000 Africans and their 
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descendants were enslaved in the United States and colonies 
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that became the United States from 1619 to 1865; and

 

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    WHEREAS, The institution of slavery was constitutionally 
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and statutorily sanctioned by the Government of the United 
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States from 1789 through 1865; and

 

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    WHEREAS, The slavery that flourished in the United States 
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constituted an immoral and inhumane deprivation of Africans' 
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life, liberty, African citizenship rights, and cultural 
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heritage, and denied them the fruits of their own labor; and

 

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    WHEREAS, Sufficient inquiry has not been made into the 
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effects of the institution of slavery on living 
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African-Americans and society in the United States;
therefore, 
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be it

 

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    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
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CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is established the Commission to 
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Study the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Past and Present 
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Effects on African-Americans (hereinafter referred to as the 
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Commission); and be it further

 

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    RESOLVED, That the Commission shall perform the following 
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duties:


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        (1) Examine the institution of slavery which existed 
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    within the United States and the colonies that became the 
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    United States from 1619 through 1865; the Commission's 
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    examination shall include an examination of:
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            (A) the capture and procurement of Africans;


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            (B) the transport of Africans to the United States 
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        and the colonies that became the United States for the 
 


 






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        purpose of enslavement, including their treatment 
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        during transport;


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            (C) the sale and acquisition of Africans as chattel 
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        property in interstate and intrastate commerce; and


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            (D) the treatment of African slaves in the colonies 
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        and the United States, including the deprivation of 
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        their freedom, exploitation of their labor, and 
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        destruction of their culture, language, religion, and 
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        families;
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        (2) Examine the extent to which the Federal and State 
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    governments of the United States supported the institution 
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    of slavery in constitutional and statutory provisions, 
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    including the extent to which such governments prevented, 
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    opposed, or restricted efforts of freed African slaves to 
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    repatriate to their homeland;


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        (3) Examine Federal and State laws that discriminated 
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    against freed African slaves and their descendants during 
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    the period between the end of the Civil War and the 
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    present;


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        (4) Examine other forms of discrimination in the public 
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    and private sectors against freed African slaves and their 
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    descendants during the period between the end of the Civil 
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    War and the present;
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        (5) Examine the lingering negative effects of the 
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    institution of slavery and the matters described in 
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    paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) on living 
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    African-Americans and on society in the United States;
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        (6) Recommend appropriate ways to educate the general 
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    public of the Commission's findings;
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        (7) Examine whether African-Americans still suffer 
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    from the lingering effects of the matters described in 
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    paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4); and be it further

 

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    RESOLVED, That the members of the Commission shall include 
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the President
of the Senate or his or her designee and the 
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Speaker of the House of
Representatives or
his or her designee, 
 


 






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each serving as co-chairpersons, the Governor or his
or her 
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designee,
one vice-chairperson appointed by each of the 
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co-chairpersons, and 25 appointed
members,
with
the Governor, 
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the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of

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Representatives,
the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the 
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Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives appointing 5 
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members each; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That the appointed members shall be from diverse 
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backgrounds
so as to reflect the diverse citizenry of Illinois 
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working together, and that their individual qualifications 
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shall include varying
educational,
professional, and civic 
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experiences that bring different perspectives and
cooperative

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outlooks to the Commission; and be it further

 

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    RESOLVED, That the Commission shall broaden outreach by 
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using
established
channels, including publicly-supported media 
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and electronic, computer-assisted
communication systems, and 
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elicit voluntary assistance from educational, legal,
civic,

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and professional organizations and institutions as well as 
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notable individuals;
and be it
further

 

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    RESOLVED, That no later than December 1, 2006, the 
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Commission shall report to
the General Assembly, the Governor, 
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and the general public on its activities, accomplishments,
and 
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recommendations; and that
the Commission shall be dissolved 
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after the filing of this report; and be it
further

 

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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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delivered to the
Governor of the State of Illinois.