,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #fid  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,november #ac1      
#bjai,ms4 ,waters 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,thompson of ,mississippi1 ,mr4 ,carson 
of ,indiana1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1  
,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1    
,mr4 ,green of ,texas1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,ms4 
,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,jackson    
,lee1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4     
,clay1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mrs4 
,watson ,coleman1 ,mr4 ,evans1 ,mr4     
,lewis1 ,ms4 ,pressley1 ,ms4 ,plaskett1 
,mrs4 ,beatty1 and ,ms4 ,fudge7         
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
the ,judiciary  ,,resolution            
,recognizing the importance of the      
,civil ,rights ,act of #ahff and the    
laws derived therefrom4  ,whereas1 in   
the aftermath of the ,civil ,war1 the   
reunified ,united ,states of ,america   
struggled to reconstruct its war-torn   
,states or establish laws granting newly
 freed slaves the same rights afforded  

to ,white citizens2 ,whereas the        
reconstruction of the ,united ,states   
following the conclusion of the ,civil  
,war necessarily included the           
integration of newly emancipated        
,african ,americans into broader        
society1 and with it1 their receipt of  
civil and legal protections2 ,whereas1  
as a response to the uncertain and      
unequal status of newly freed slaves1   
the #acth ,amendment to the             
,constitution was ratified by the       
,states on ,december #f1 #ahfe1 formally
 abolishing slavery within the ,united  
,states1 or any place subject to their  
jurisdiction2 ,whereas1 on ,april #i1   
#ahff1 ,congress overrode a             
,presidential veto to enact the ,civil  
,rights ,act of #ahff1 a law written to 
protect and clarify the newly bestowed  
rights of persons of ,african descent2  
,whereas the ,civil ,rights ,act of     
#ahff declared that all persons born in 
the ,united ,states are entitled to be  
citizens1 without regard to race1 color1

 or previous condition of slavery or    
involuntary servitude2 ,whereas the     
,civil ,rights ,act of #ahff was enacted
 to accomplish three primary objectives3
 to establish that all persons born in  
the ,united ,states were to be          
considered citizens1 to clearly define  
the rights guaranteed by ,american      
citizenship1 and to make it unlawful for
 any person to deprive another of these 
rights on the basis of race2 ,whereas   
the ,civil ,rights ,act of #ahff served 
the role of overriding ,black ,codes1   
laws enacted in southern ,states to     
restrict ,african ,americans' freedom   
and keep formerly enslaved persons from 
thriving in society2 ,whereas section #a
 of the ,civil ,rights ,act of #ahff    
created an avenue for citizens who fell 
victim to intentional racial            
discrimination by allowing them go      
before a ,federal court and allege that 
he or she was discriminated against     
while engaging in lawful activity2      
,whereas section #a of the ,civil       

,rights ,act of #ahff was used to       
challenge the laws established by       
southern ,states to limit the rights and
 opportunities of newly freed slaves2   
,whereas under section #aigg of the     
,revised ,statutes 7#db ,u4,s4,c4       
#aiha71 as derived from section #af of  
the ,enforcement ,act of #ahgj 7#af     
,stat4 #adj7 and section #a of the      
,civil ,rights ,act of #ahff 7#ad ,stat4
 #bg71 ,african-,american citizens are  
given the right to enforce contracts1   
give evidence in court1 sue and be sued1
 and purchase1 sell1 and convey real and
 personal property2 ,whereas1 in #aige1 
the ,supreme ,court found in ,johnson v4
 ,railway ,express ,agency1 ,inc41 #dba 
,u4,s4 #ded 7#aige71 that section #af of
 the ,enforcement ,act of #ahgj 7#af    
,stat4 #adj7 allowed for private        
employers to be held accountable for    
discrimination within their ranks2      
,whereas section #aigg of the ,revised  
,statutes 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aiha7 applies 
to all contracts1 including those       

between employer and employee1 and has  
become a vital tool for employment      
discrimination claimants2 ,whereas      
section #aigg of the ,revised ,statutes 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aiha7 stands as one of  
the only laws protecting against        
employers openly discriminating on the  
basis of race when contracting with     
other parties2 ,whereas it is well      
established that section #aigg of the   
,revised ,statutes 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aiha7
 has been invoked to challenge race     
discrimination in employment matters and
 has held bad actors accountable for    
contract discrimination2 ,whereas1 in   
#aihi1 the ,supreme ,court narrowly     
interpreted section #aigg of the        
,revised ,statutes 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aiha7
 to only apply to contract formation in 
,patterson v4 ,mc,lean ,credit ,union1  
#dia ,u4,s4 #afd 7#aihi71 finding that  
only certain points in a contractual    
engagement could be subject to the      
protections afforded in such section2   
,whereas the ruling in ,patterson v4    

,mc,lean ,credit ,union1 #dia ,u4,s4    
#afd 7#aihi7 functioned as a major      
setback in ensuring that all aspects of 
an employee or individual's interaction 
with a business would be free of racial 
discrimination2 ,whereas1 in #aiia1     
,congress disagreed with a plethora of  
,supreme ,court decisions that          
undermined ,federal antidiscrimination  
laws and challenged the ,court's        
restrictive interpretation of section   
#aigg of the ,revised ,statutes 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #aiha7 in ,patterson by       
statute1 as part of the ,civil ,rights  
,act of #aiia2 ,whereas the #bjjh       
decision in ,,cbocs ,west1 ,inc4 v4     
,humphries1 #eec ,u4,s4 #ddb 7#bjjh71   
further determined that section #aigg of
 the ,revised ,statutes 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#aiha7 prohibits not only direct        
discrimination1 but retaliation of those
 alleging discrimination1 as well2      
,whereas ,congress' intent is clear     
through the legislative history of      
section #aigg of the ,revised ,statutes 

7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aiha71 which            
definitively illustrates the law was    
meant to provide and enforce robust     
protection against race discrimination  
in contracting2 ,whereas section #aigg  
of the ,revised ,statutes 7#db ,u4,s4,c4
 #aiha7 provides that all persons within
 the jurisdiction of the ,united ,states
 shall have the same right 4 4 4 to make
 and enforce contracts 4 4 4 as is      
enjoyed by white citizens4 and the      
statute defines make and enforce        
contracts to include the making1        
performance1 modification1 and          
termination of contracts1 and the       
enjoyment of all benefits1 privileges1  
terms1 and conditions of the contractual
 relationship42 ,whereas section #aigg  
of the ,revised ,statutes 7#db ,u4,s4,c4
 #aiha7 clearly enumerates the          
protections afforded to minorities in   
the ,united ,states when contracting    
with businesses and makes clear that all
 aspects of the creation1 modification1 
and termination of contracts are subject

 to the scrutiny of such section2       
,whereas the most direct interpretation 
of section #aigg of the ,revised        
,statutes 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aiha7 ensures 
that all racial minorities in the       
,united ,states be granted the          
opportunity to enter into contractual   
agreements free of discrimination2 and  
,whereas section #aigg of the ,revised  
,statutes 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aiha7 serves  
as a critically important tool to ensure
 no person is denied the ability to     
contract with another on the basis of   
race3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that the 
,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7       
recognizes and honors the historical    
significance of section #aigg of the    
,revised ,statutes 7#db ,u4,s4,c4       
#aiha71 and its instrumental            
contributions to our ,nation's pursuit  
of equal protection for all ,americans2 
7#b7 reaffirms its commitment to the    
#acth1 #adth1 and #aeth amendments1 to  
the ,civil ,rights ,act of #ahff 7and   
the laws derived therefrom71 and to the 

civil rights and liberties of all racial
 minorities across the country2 and     
7#c7 reaffirms the congressional intent 
behind section #a of the ,civil ,rights 
,act of #ahff 7and the laws derived     
therefrom71 which was1 and remains      
today1 the protection of the rights of  
minorities seeking refuge from racial   
discrimination in business4