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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | November 18, 2021 02:49 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Christopher M. Rabb |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Recognizing the 200th anniversary of the introduction of the Act for the Entire Abolition of Slavery in Pennsylvania |
| In 1780, Pennsylvania enacted the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery which was the first abolition law introduced in America. However well-intentioned, assemblymen of the time chose to place more value in their own social status than in liberty for all. Instead of granting immediate freedom, the extremely conservative act only paved a path toward emancipation for enslaved Black women, men, and children, and exposed loopholes that perpetuated the institution of slavery within our state’s borders for another 70 years. In the years after the passage of the Act, State Senator Samuel Breck of Philadelphia advocated for the total abolition of slavery by introducing the Act for the Entire Abolition of Slavery in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the advancement of the Act was cut short as a motion to postpone the bill indefinitely succeeded by a vote of 14 to 13 on March 2, 1821. Once again, the unwillingness to right a grave injustice and emancipate all enslaved Pennsylvanians of African descent when given the opportunity demonstrated our state legislature’s abdication of its responsibility to protect all people living in Pennsylvania. The failure of the General Assembly to fully eradicate slavery, not only in 1780, but once again in 1821, has had harsh consequences on Black Pennsylvanians for centuries. To this day, our state is riddled with racial disparities in health care, education, incarceration, and so many other aspects that can have a negative effect on a person’s daily life. We must promote civic literacy among Pennsylvanians so that the people of our commonwealth are aware of the array of decisions by our government over centuries that have impacted Pennsylvanians over generations. Such heightened awareness of our shared history encourages deeper discussion of — and the potential to learn from — past mistakes and misdeeds of the three branches of our state government. Further, it is our moral duty as state lawmakers to acknowledge that, not infrequently, policy-shapers from past eras have burdened us with their misguided actions — and at times, inaction —influencing generations of public policy, jurisprudence and state programs that too often have compounded the impact of racial inequities across our commonwealth. For these reasons, I am introducing a concurrent resolution recognizing the 200th anniversary of the introduction of the Act for the Entire Abolition of Slavery in Pennsylvania. Thank you for your support of this forthcoming resolution. |
Introduced as HR157