Establishing a task force to recommend an appropriate recognition of the historic life and career of Representative Joseph Rainey of South Carolina on the 150th anniversary of his becoming a Member of the House of Representatives.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. RES. 1254 Establishing a task force to recommend an appropriate recognition of the historic life and career of Representative Joseph Rainey of South Caro- lina on the 150th anniversary of his becoming a Member of the House of Representatives. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DECEMBER 9, 2020 Mr. MCCARTHY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration RESOLUTION Establishing a task force to recommend an appropriate rec- ognition of the historic life and career of Representative Joseph Rainey of South Carolina on the 150th anniver- sary of his becoming a Member of the House of Rep- resentatives. Whereas Joseph Hayne Rainey was born enslaved on June 21, 1832, in Georgetown, South Carolina; Whereas Joseph Rainey learned the barbering trade from his father, Edward Rainey; Whereas Edward Rainey used profits from his work as a bar- ber to buy his and his family’s freedom in the 1840’s; Whereas Joseph Rainey eventually moved with his family to Charleston, South Carolina; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:59 Dec 10, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1254.IH HR1254 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 1254 IH Whereas in 1859, Joseph Rainey married his wife, Susan, with whom he had three children, Joseph II, Herbert, and Olive; Whereas during the Civil War, in 1862, Joseph Rainey and his wife and family escaped to Bermuda, a British colony that had abolished slavery in 1834, and undertook suc- cessful entrepreneurial endeavors together; Whereas in 1866 the Rainey family moved back to Charles- ton, South Carolina, after the Civil War had ended; Whereas Joseph H. Rainey co-founded the State Republican Party and represented Georgetown, South Carolina, on the party’s central committee in 1867; Whereas Joseph Rainey participated in the South Carolina State constitutional convention in 1868; Whereas Joseph Rainey was first elected to public office in 1870, when he won a seat in the State Senate; Whereas Joseph Rainey won election to the House of Rep- resentatives in 1870, and was the first African American to serve as a Member of the House of Representatives; Whereas Joseph Rainey was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives on December 12, 1870, to rep- resent the First District of South Carolina in the Forty- First Congress; Whereas Joseph Rainey became the first African American to preside over the House of Representatives by taking the chair in April 1874; Whereas Joseph Rainey was an active and effective member of Congress, serving with distinction on a number of committees including the Committee on Freedmen’s Af- VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:59 Dec 10, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1254.IH HR1254 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 1254 IH fairs, the committee handling all legislation concerning people freed from slavery; Whereas Joseph Rainey was a tireless advocate for civil rights and equality; and a forceful proponent of desegre- gation in transportation, public accommodations, and es- pecially education; and Whereas Joseph Rainey retired from the House of Represent- atives on March 3, 1879: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, 1 SECTION 1. TASK FORCE FOR RECOGNITION OF LIFE AND 2 CAREER OF THE HONORABLE JOSEPH 3 RAINEY. 4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT; COMPOSITION.—There is es- 5 tablished in the House of Representatives a task force, to 6 be composed of the Clerk and the Historian of the House 7 of Representatives and the Architect of the Capitol, to rec- 8 ommend an appropriate recognition for the historic life 9 and career of the Honorable Joseph Rainey of South Caro- 10 lina, the first African American to serve as a Member of 11 the House of Representatives. 12 (b) DUTIES.—The task force established under this 13 section shall— 14 (1) produce a summary document of the 15 achievements of the Honorable Joseph Rainey and 16 the Reconstruction-Era generation of African-Amer- 17 ican Members of the House of Representatives; and 18 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:59 Dec 10, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1254.IH HR1254 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 1254 IH (2) recommend an appropriate recognition of 1 those achievements which could be displayed in a 2 prominent location in, or near, the House side of the 3 United States Capitol. 4 (c) DEADLINE.—The task force shall complete its du- 5 ties under this section not later than 90 days after the 6 adoption of this resolution. 7 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:59 Dec 10, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR1254.IH HR1254 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS