National Mall Liberty Fund D.C.

HEARINGS HELD, LIBERTY BILL READY FOR MARKUP

National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. was incorporated in Washington, D.C. in May 2005 to build a memorial on previously-approved land on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

In June 2006, a Federal advisory commission recommended that Congress approve the site at Constitution Gardens.

The National Liberty Memorial would honor --

over 5,000 enslaved Americans and free persons of African descent, who volunteered to serve as soldiers and sailors during the American Revolution;
tens of thousands of slaves and free persons who rendered civilian assistance that helped win the nation's Independence;
slaves who ran away to freedom; and
thousands of men, women, and children who petitioned state courts and legislatures for liberty during that era.

Recent News...

Maurice Barboza testifies on H.R. 1693 before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands on March 6, 2008.(Statement: Full / Summary)

On Sept 11, 2007, the Subcommittee on National Parks of the U.S. Senate Committee for Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on S.1051. Statement. Audio.

Patrick County, Virginia and over 20 other counties in the Commonwealth have passed resolutions in support of the National Liberty Memorial.
"I’m for honoring these people; they fought. The one thing that bothered me is that they emphasized that they were black. These people, no matter what their color, are all veterans. I want them honored." -- Patrick County, Virginia Supervisor Roger L. Martin, January 8, 2007

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- March 29, 2007, Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the National Liberty Memorial Act along with my colleagues, Senators CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, BARACK OBAMA and ELIZABETH DOLE. Representatives DONALD M. PAYNE, WILLIAM LACY CLAY, STEVE COHEN, SHEILA JACKSON-LEE, HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, Jr., NITA M. LOWEY, ALBIO SIRES, and BETTY SUTTON have introduced companion language in the House.

Historians and a descendant join The Delaware Humanities Forum for a scholarly symposium: "From Revolution to Republic: The Role of Black Patriots of the 18th Century," Thursday, September 28, 2006. Descendant Denise Dennis tells the story of her soldier ancestors and the vision for the Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust where generations of the family were buried since the American Revolution. (See statement of Maurice Barboza, founder of Liberty Fund D.C.)

National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission Recommends Site at Constitution Gardens for National Liberty Memorial. See testimony of Senator Chris Dodd, Maurice Barboza, C. Fred Kleinknecht, teacher Sharon McGeein, and descendants Marion Lane, Daysha Christian and Yolanda Wade.

Charles City County Board of Supervisors Approve Resolution #2006-15 in support of the National Liberty Memorial. Board chair Michael L. Holmes asks Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine to support similar resolution in General Assembly. See profiles of Charles City, Virginia, children who are descended from persons of African descent who served as soldiers and patriots in the American Revolution. The complete feature is on the "Three Cultures" page under "Roots Run Deep."

In 2005, the president general of the Sons of the American Revolution, Dr. Roland G. Downing, announced a joint endeavor with Liberty Fund D.C. to increase African American membership. Soon thereafter, the SAR welcomed over a half dozen black members, including Harvard scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., now a Liberty Fund D.C. board member. Dr. Downing said, "We need to let every American know this is not an organization just for white men. The Revolution was not a war just for or by white men."

Scholars Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Gary B. Nash Urge U.S. Senate to Pass Bill to Authorize Memorial on the National Mall to Blacks in Revolutionary War. See letter to Senate President Pro Tem Ted Stevens and bibliography.

On June 4, 2005, at Gunston Hall Plantation in Mason Neck, Virginia, the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) welcomed four new members. Paul Williams, Sr., Paul Williams, II, Andrew Williams and Devin Williams are descended from Absalom Martin, a free black man who enlisted as a Private on April 25, 1781 for twelve months in Captain William Dennis' Company in the 1st North Carolina Regiment, commanded by Colonel Lighton.

For generations, Revolutionary war soldier Cato Mead was thought by Iowans to be white. At a ceremony on Memorial Day 2006, Gerome Crayton of Keokuk portrayed Cato Mead and citizens from Montrose and the surrounding communities honored their newest African American hero.

Liberty Fund D.C. board member Joseph W. Dooley, at a Patriots Day event in New Bedford, explains the posthumous restoration of SAR membership to civil rights leader Dr. W.E.B. Dubois, a descendant of a slave who served in the American Revolution. (See also the story of the Williams Family.)

Grassley Works to Create National Liberty Memorial. Sen. Chuck Grassley today joined Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut to introduce bipartisan legislation to build a memorial that would commemorate the thousands of slaves, including Iowan Cato Mead who served in the American Revolution. The memorial would be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Dover, ex-slave from Norwalk, fought in Revolutionary War. By Judy Cobin, Hour Correspondent. Editor's note: The following is an historic account of a slave living in Norwalk during the Revolutionary War era. NORWALK — In a census taken by the Colony of Connecticut on Jan. 1, 1774, there were 136 blacks listed as living in Norwalk. One of them was a slave named Dover.

"The vision of National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to resurrect this noble endeavor is compelling, practical and achievable. I want you to know that I intend to join you and our colleagues from both parties to ensure the land on the National Mall is preserved and the National Liberty Memorial is finally constructed." Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, assistant House whip, to Rep. Nancy L. Johnson, November 17, 2005

"…my father's family is Melungeon, a uniquely American group with White, Indian and African ancestry. As a public servant who is active on this county's "Reducing Health Disparities Initiative," I am keenly interested in measures that serve to strengthen the social, psychological, and emotional health of all American cultures, including those of our First Nations and African American people." Letter from Curtis Christy to Rep. Richard Pombo, October 4,2005

The National Liberty Memorial Act, S. 1051 and H.R. 1693, was introduced by Senator Chris Dodd, Senator Charles E. Grassley and and Representative Donald M. Payne during the week of March 26, 2007. Congress must pass the legislation, and President George W. Bush must sign it to give Liberty Fund D.C. the right to build the memorial.

This memorial will not only honor Revolutionary war era heroes, it will acknowledge America's forgotten First Families -- those of African descent who have served the nation with quiet distinction for generations since even before 1776. ( See the story of America's First Families in Recent News.)

how you can help...

Please urge your Senators and Representatives to cosponsor S. 1051 and H.R. 1693 and work for prompt passage. Please read the Questions & Answers about the National Liberty Memorial and see the explanation below on how you can help.

Tell your Senators and Representatives that you want them to --

pass S. 1051 and H.R. 1693 to authorize Liberty Fund D.C. to construct the National Liberty Memorial;
join as a cosponsor;
visit www.libertyfunddc.org to see what their colleagues have said about the memorial beginning with the first hearing on June 13, 1985;
read the statements of organizations, like the Prince Hall Masons, NAACP, National Urban League, and National Education Association;
read the story of Lena Santos Ferguson's struggle to honor her heritage and the biographies of the Liberty Fund D.C.'s distinguished team;
read the 200 year-old-history behind this long-overdue honor to patriotism and use the resources on this site to educate their constituents and promote the memorial in congress; and
peruse the Honor Roll containing a sampling of the thousands of Americans who helped examine, promote, and explain, the history and the memorial and obtain the National Mall site.

Click "contact congress" above to find your congressperson:

Send a letter or an e-mail and, please, send us a copy.
Call 202-224-3121 and ask for the office of your congressman or senator.
e-mail us now with the results of your contact and any follow-up we can initiate.

We will notify you of the results and thank you by adding your name to the Honor Roll.

Please introduce Liberty Fund D.C. to people who get things done in your community. Forward this page often: e-mail us now.