Gwen Moore: “The lengthy process of constructing the US Capitol relied…”

“The Emancipation hall is named for the enslaved laborers that played a crucial and overlooked role in the construction of this Capitol. And they were excluded from the very freedom that it embodies. The lengthy process of constructing the US Capitol relied upon free and enslaved laborers at every step. For example, slaves augmented a number of projects, perhaps most notably the Statue of Freedom that is atop the U.S. capitol dome and is owed in part to the label and skill of enslaved artisan Philip Reed.” (00:53–01:02)

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.