WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04) and Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) introduced the “Headstones for Honor Act,” H.R. 6830 to recognize individuals who performed military service while enslaved or otherwise legally prohibited from serving on basis of their race, gender, sex, or ethnicity. The legislation would allow the final remains of these individuals to be memorialized with a headstone or marker from the Department of Veterans Affairs.  

There is documented evidence of men who were enslaved serving alongside American armies from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. These individuals were not always granted their freedom for their service and in the case of the Confederacy were forced to support the fight to maintain their own enslavement. Too often in our history, the service of Black Americans and individuals held in bondage has been overlooked. Today, the formerly enslaved and others who were not formally enrolled in the military cannot be recognized with a headstone or marker from the Department of Veterans Affairs to signify their service.

To read the full legislative text, click here.