South Carolina General Assembly
117th Session, 2007-2008

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR AMISTAD AMERICA, INCORPORATED, FOR ITS OUTSTANDING WORK IN EDUCATING CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS ON THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN FREEDOM AND ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUED EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE ALL VESTIGES OF THE LEGACY OF CHATTEL SLAVERY EVERYWHERE.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly commend Amistad America, Incorporated, for building a replica of the 1839 Baltimore schooner La Amistad and for taking it on the Atlantic Freedom Tour 2007-2008; and

Whereas, the landing and stay in Charleston from May 16 through May 26, 2008, will be the ship's first official landing in the United States as part of the commemoration of the two hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade; and

Whereas, the ship is intended to serve as a floating exhibit and to teach the history of the transatlantic slave trade and the countries and people involved in it; and

Whereas, the ship will also be used to educate current and future generations about the sanctity of human freedom and about the importance of continued efforts to eliminate all vestiges of the legacy of chattel slavery everywhere; and

Whereas, in order to retrace the route taken by slave ships that were based in the United States, the Atlantic Freedom Tour 2007-2008 began in June 2007 to sail from New Haven, Connecticut to Halifax, Nova Scotia; the United Kingdom; Sierra Leone, West Africa; and will soon arrive in Barbados, West Indies, and then will sail for South Carolina; and

Whereas, a host of South Carolina organizations have worked diligently to bring the Amistad to our great State, including the South Carolina Maritime Foundation and the West Africa Council of South Carolina; and

Whereas, the Amistad will be featured in the Charleston HarborFest on May 16-18, 2008, which is one of the opportunities the general public will have to visit the ship and its shore-side display; and

Whereas, while the ship is in the Charleston Harbor, Spoleto Festival USA will include the opening of an opera entitled Amistad; and

Whereas, the South Carolina African-American Heritage Commission, as part of its mission to educate South Carolinians about African-American history, supports the Amistad's visit; and

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly take great pride in commending Amistad America, Incorporated, for the work it has done and continues to do in reminding all South Carolinians to look back to their past and ahead to their future. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, recognize and commend Amistad America, Incorporated, for its outstanding work in educating current and future generations on the sanctity of human freedom and on the importance of continued efforts to eliminate all vestiges of the legacy of chattel slavery everywhere.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Gregory Belanger, President and CEO of Amistad America, Incorporated.

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