Bill > S498

This bill aims to posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to African Americans who served in the Union forces during the Civil War, recognizing their significant and often overlooked contributions to the war effort. The bill provides historical context, noting that approximately 200,000 African-American men served in the Union Army and 19,000 in the Navy, with women also serving in critical support roles such as nurses, cooks, spies, and scouts. It highlights the challenges these soldiers faced, including racial discrimination and the risk of enslavement if captured, and emphasizes that their service was crucial to the Union's victory and the broader goals of emancipation and citizenship. The bill directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike a gold medal with appropriate designs and inscriptions, which will be presented by Congressional leadership and then given to the Smithsonian Institution for display and research. The Smithsonian is encouraged to make the medal available for display at locations associated with the United States Colored Troops (USCT), and provisions are made for creating bronze duplicates of the medal for sale to cover production costs. By creating this medal, the bill seeks to honor and commemorate the bravery and critical contributions of African Americans during the Civil War, acknowledging a long-overlooked chapter of American military history.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/498/all-info