Restoring the promise of freedom: honoring, preserving, and investing in Freedmen's Settlements.

This resolution aims to honor, preserve, and invest in Freedmen's Settlements, which are communities established by free and formerly enslaved African Americans across the nation before and after emancipation. These settlements represent a significant part of American history, embodying resilience, collective economics, and community building in the face of racial violence and economic discrimination. The resolution acknowledges that many of these communities were destroyed or impoverished due to centuries of public and private divestment, including uncompensated labor, failed Reconstruction promises, Jim Crow laws, and environmental racism. The resolution calls for several key actions, including supporting the preservation of these settlements through comprehensive documentation, oral histories, and physical commemoration. It encourages investing in their lasting legacies with designated funding for historic preservation and economic justice initiatives to benefit descendants and residents. Furthermore, it expresses a commitment to protecting these communities from development, gentrification, and environmental hazards through strategic investment, external development regulation, and community-led economic development. It emphasizes the critical need for coordination among federal, state, and local governments, agencies, and nonprofit organizations to understand historical injustices and provide ongoing support. This support includes ensuring fair standards of living with adequate infrastructure, clean water, and emergency services, ultimately leading to greater equity and investment in these historically disadvantaged communities. The resolution seeks to recognize and honor the legacies of freedom, ingenuity, and resilience demonstrated by the founders and residents of Freedmen's Settlements.