On January 29, 2016, the United Nations’ Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent issued a press release of its findings and recommendations on the conclusion of its official visit to the US (January 19 – 29, 2016).
The Working Group gave special thanks to the hundreds of civil society representative organizations, lawyers and individuals from the African American communities in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD, Jackson, MS, Chicago, IL, and New York City for sharing their concerns and recommendations with the U.N. delegation as well as the numerous human rights defenders and activists who reached out to them from other parts of the country. The preliminary findings and recommendations will be presented in a mission report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in September 2016.
In the press release, the Working Group addressed MPCPMP’s request at the January 21st meeting to support the installation of historic markers at all arrival sites, stating: “Monuments, memorials and markers should be erected to facilitate this important public dialogue. Education must be accompanied by acts of reconciliation, which are needed to overcome acts of racial bigotry and legacies of injustice. To accelerate the process of desegregation, federal and state legislation should be passed recognizing the experience of enslavement.” To read the full report, please follow this link.