WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- A congressional task force plans a memorial to the black slaves who helped build the U.S. Capitol from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s, a report said.
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and former rep J.C. Watts, R-Okla., set up the task force that has yet to decide if the memorial should be a traditional display or an annual ceremony.
"I don't think the story of the Capitol would be fully told until we have something depicting the lives of the people who helped build it," Lewis told USA Today.
Retired Washington TV reporter Ed Hotaling is credited with publicizing black slaves' contribution six years ago while researching the 200th anniversary of the Capitol.
The task force will make its recommendations to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Senate President Pro Tempore Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.
