Congressional Record
March 15, 1988, pg. H843

Mr. RODINO. Madam Speaker. I was proud to be a sponsor of the public law that authorized the Black RevolutionaryWar Patriots Foundation to erect a memorial in Washington, DC to the black soldiers, freedom petitioners, and runaway slaves of the American Revolution. I am also privileged to serve as a member of the Advisory Council of the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Foundation which has done so much to bring to the forefront of public attention the crucial role black patriots played in winning our independence and their own freedom.

The establishment of this memorial will honor the estimated 5,000 courageous slaves and free black persons who served as soldiers and sailors or provided civilian assistance during the American Revolution. It will equally pay tributes to the countless black men, women, and children who ran away from slavery or filed petitions with courts and legislatures seeking their freedom.

These gallant individuals fought for freedom without any guarantee that once the battle was over, they would share in all the blessings of the peace. They exemplified the true meaning of the word American: struggle, hard work, perseverance, and love of freedom. We are heirs to the history these men and women made and their example inspires all Americans. They are not simply heroes of black history, they are the heroes of American history.

This is why the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Memorial will be an important symbol for us all. It will serve as a permanent reminder of the struggle for freedom by Americans-a struggle that is at the very heart of the birth of our Nation. It will recognize the contributions of blacks to the Nation's independence, to the development of the constitution and to the concept of human rights for every citizen. It will celebrate the beginning of the civil rights movement which lived on in the courage of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, W.E.B. DuBois, A. Phillip Randolph, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Finally, this memorial will deepen our appreciation of the indomitability of the human spirit. It will stir us to renew our commitment to the goals of a fairer and more just society and to continue to ensure that America remains a nation where dreams and aspirations become reality.

For all of the reasons, I believe that the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Memorial should occupy a prominent site in our nation's capital alongside the other monuments of our national heroes.., The resolution before us today, which has already passed the Senate, will provide congressional approval for Interior Secretary Hodels recommendation to allow the Black Patriots Memorial to stand in Washington's monumental core. This is only fitting and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

In closing, I also want to express my pride in the fact that many blacks in my own State of New Jersey contributed to our Revolutionary War heritage. Cudjo was a Newark slave who participated in the American Revolution as a continental soldier in place of his master and he received his freedom for this bravery. He was among the many brave and courageous black New Jerseyites who risked their lives in the cause of independence.

Madam Speaker, with your permission, I would like to include in my remarks the testimony of Judge Lawrence W. Pierce who is a descendant of Adam Pierce -- a brave New Jerseyite who fought for freedom. Judge Pierce's eloquent words provide a powerful and meaningful argument for supporting the resolution before us today.