Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) are leading an effort to secure the Congressional Gold Medal for the 200,000 African Americans who served in the Union Army during the Civil War.
On Monday, Holmes and Booker introduced the United States Colored Troops Congressional Gold Medal Act to coincide with Black History Month. If passed, the bill would posthumously honor approximately 200,000 African American men who served in the Union Army and 19,000 who served in the Union Navy during the Civil War with the Congressional Gold Medal.
“Hundreds of thousands of African Americans who fought for the Union in the Civil War have largely been left out of the nation’s historical memory, despite having sacrificed their safety, and in many cases their lives,” Congresswoman Norton said in a press release.
“This bill will help correct that wrong and give the descendants of those soldiers the recognition they deserve. Thank you to Senator Booker for partnering with me in this effort and for introducing the Senate version of the bill so early this Congress.”
Although African Americans had served in previous wars long before the Civil War, there was initial resistance to recruiting them as soldiers at the start of the conflict. However, on May 22, 1863, the United States War Department issued General Order Number 143, which created the Bureau of Colored Troops to organize and recruit regiments of African American soldiers, known as the United States Colored Troops.By the war’s end, approximately 179,000 Black men had served in the Union Army, and another 19,000 served in the Navy. While Black women were not allowed to officially enlist as soldiers or sailors, they contributed as nurses, cooks, spies, and scouts for the Army and Navy.
“African Americans have laid down their lives serving in our country’s armed forces for hundreds of years,” said Sen. Booker. “Though often overlooked or forgotten, the United States Colored Troops were vital to preserving the Union during the Civil War. We must honor their legacy and ensure their service and sacrifice are remembered as an integral part of our nation’s history. More than 150 years have passed since the end of the war, and this bill will ensure these American heroes are finally awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their fight for liberty, equality, and justice.”
Holmes is urging her colleagues in Congress to support the bill and get it passed.
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