February 26, 2026
Mr. Figures (for himself, Ms. Norton, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Bell, Mr. Amo, Mr. Cleaver, Mrs. Beatty, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Horsford, Mrs. Hayes, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mrs. McBath, Ms. McClellan, and Mr. Johnson of Georgia) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
Recognizing the historical significance of the Clotilda, condemning the United States role in the Atlantic slave trade, and acknowledging its lasting impact on African Americans.
Whereas, on July 8, 1860, the Clotilda became the last known ship to bring enslaved Africans to the United States, carrying 110 Africans, long after the abolishment of the transatlantic slave trade in 1808;
Whereas those who survived disembarked near Mobile, Alabama, and established their livelihood throughout the State of Alabama in areas such as Mobile, Pickens, Baldwin, Washington, Dallas, Marengo, Wilcox, Autauga, Elmore, and Montgomery Counties;
Whereas one of the most notable communities is the community of Africatown, founded by the Mobile Africans around 1868, maintaining their language, customs, and cultural heritage;
Whereas the story of the Clotilda stands as a powerful testament to the enterprise of resilience and resistance among the African people who were enslaved;
Whereas the Atlantic slave trade forcibly removed millions of Africans to the Americas, inflicting intergenerational trauma and disrupting familial and community bonds;
Whereas the United States Government and other American institutions played an active role in enabling and sustaining the transatlantic slave trade through legal, political, and economic systems; and
Whereas acknowledging and confronting this history is essential to the ongoing work of racial healing, justice, and reconciliation: Now, therefore, be it
Sec.
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
recognizes the 110 enslaved Africans aboard the Clotilda who were brought to the United States illegally in 1860;
(2)
recognizes the descendants of those 110 Africans who have lived and still live with the impacts of this crime;
(3)
recognizes the historical significance of the Clotilda as the last known slave ship to arrive in the United States;
(4)
recognizes the enduring legacy of the Atlantic slave trade and the harm it has inflicted on African Americans, including the disruption of families, communities, and cultural continuity;
(5)
condemns the participation and facilitation by the United States, through legal, political, and economic institutions, in the transatlantic slave trade;
(6)
affirms the cultural and historical importance of Africatown and the communities founded by the descendants of the Clotilda, and urges continued support for their preservation; and
(7)
encourages the Architect of the Capitol to consider establishing a memorial within the United States Capitol Grounds to honor the story of the Clotilda and all victims of the Atlantic slave trade.