Congressional Gold Medal Authorized for Enslaved Africans: Recognizing $14.2 Trillion Economic Contribution

This legislation, simply titled after its purpose, authorizes the creation of a Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor Africans and their descendants who were enslaved in the U.S. between August 20, 1619, and December 6, 1865. It’s a formal act of recognition, backed by a detailed set of findings from Congress that lay out the brutality of slavery and its indispensable role in building the American economy, estimating the total economic value of this forced labor at up to $14.2 trillion (in 2009 dollars).

The Official Acknowledgment of History

Section 2, the “Findings” section, is the core of this bill, acting as an official historical statement. It doesn't just acknowledge that slavery happened; it details the systematic kidnapping, the horrors of the Middle Passage, and the subsequent exploitation that built major landmarks like the U.S. Capitol and the White House. For everyday people, this means that the federal government is formally adopting a historical narrative that ties the nation’s economic growth directly to the unpaid labor and suffering of enslaved people. This is a significant, high-level acknowledgment of a history that impacts every aspect of modern American life and wealth distribution.

The Gold Medal and Its Permanent Home

Under Section 3, the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate are directed to arrange for the presentation of this Gold Medal, which is considered the highest civilian award given by Congress. The Secretary of the Treasury is tasked with its design. Crucially, once awarded, the medal won't just sit in a vault; it must be given to the Smithsonian Institution and housed permanently at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture. This ensures that the recognition becomes a visible, permanent fixture for research and public education, making this history accessible to generations of students and visitors.

How the Public Can Get a Piece of History

If you’ve ever wanted a piece of national history, Section 4 makes that possible. It authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to create and sell bronze duplicates of the Gold Medal to the public. The price has to be set high enough to cover all production costs—materials, labor, dies, and overhead—meaning the medal production is designed to be self-sustaining. The revenue generated from these sales goes into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. This is a smart, practical provision that allows the public to share in the commemoration while ensuring taxpayers aren't footing the bill for mass production.