Nat Turner. The original engraved image was published in Orville J. Victor's History of American Conspiracies: A Record of Treason, Insurrection, Rebellion, &c. in the United States of America, From 1760 to 1860 (1863).
Nat Turner. The original engraved image was published in Orville J. Victor's History of American Conspiracies: A Record of Treason, Insurrection, Rebellion, &c. in the United States of America, From 1760 to 1860 (1863). Credit: National Park Service

On Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, Congressman Al Green will host the 2nd Annual Slavery Remembrance Legislative Update and Commemorative Breakfast at the Wyndham Hotel (8686 Kirby Dr., Houston, TX 77054) at 8:30 a.m. The free-to-the-public event (Eventbrite registration requited) seeks to provide attendees with the latest news on where Green’s legislation stands—a bill that seeks to implement a National Day of Slavery Remembrance annually on Aug. 20.

Green envisions the annual event helping ensure the evils of slavery are never forgotten and never repeated.

“I am honored to host this historic Slavery Remembrance Legislative Update that

pays tribute to the enslaved and their descendants,” said Green. “As a nation, we must acknowledge the horrors of slavery and legislate a future that upholds equality and justice for all.”

Green’s resolution was introduced and passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress and recognized by President Joe Biden in 2022. However, the legislation has not yet been passed in the U.S. Senate.

The event will also honor the late State Representative Al Edwards, “Father of Juneteenth” and offer a salute to Houston’s historic Black Press.

D’Quay Williams, a local entrepreneur who plans on attending the event, said such a remembrance is long overdue.

“Our ancestors’ blood, sweat and tears built America,” said Williams. “What’s the holdup with giving us our props?”

State Rep. Ron Reynolds also plans to attend.

“I look forward to attending Congressman Al Green’s 2nd Annual Slavery Remembrance Day event,” said Reynolds. “The time is ripe for this event with the recent attacks in Texas and across the country against teaching students about slavery based on the anti-woke MAGA agenda of ending critical race theory.”

Reynolds sees an annual day of remembrance as critical to the county’s well-being.

“We must not allow anyone to whitewash America’s original sin of slavery and the vast contributions that enslaved individuals made in building this nation. We should always discuss the need for reparations to be paid to the descendants of the enslaved.”

The event will spotlight key legislative initiatives, including the legislation creating Slavery Remembrance Day, as well as legislation relating to historical figures John Brown and Nat Turner. Green will highlight efforts to secure Congressional Gold Medals for the enslaved, recognizing their immense contributions as the economic foundational mothers and fathers of America’s economic greatness, similar to what Congress did for Confederate soldiers in 1956.

I'm originally from Cincinnati. I'm a husband and father to six children. I'm an associate pastor for the Shrine of Black Madonna (Houston). I am a lecturer (adjunct professor) in the University of Houston...