(The Center Square) – On Monday, the House passed a resolution designating September as International Underground Railroad Month.
It received near-unanimous support from the chamber, 199-4. The no votes stood out.
The Underground Railroad is an integral part of U.S. history, particularly important to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which served as an abolitionist state and is home to more than 60 sites on the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom list.
Passing the resolution would seem noncontroversial, aligning each representative with the resolve and demonstration of character of those who resisted the enslavement of Africans in the Americas through the Underground Railroad.
Supporters of the resolution said as much. Rep. Christina Sappey, D-Kennett Square, and Rep. Dan Williams, D-Thorndale, spoke on the House floor, emphasizing the importance of past lessons in addressing today’s world.
“Which stories will we choose to remember, and which will we choose to forget?” asked Sappey.
The question underscores a national conversation around erasing historical narratives from the record. The Trump administration’s directive to remove DEI-related content from federal media and websites has led to confusion and the disappearance and reinstatement of material about heroes like the Navajo Code Talkers and the Tuskegee Airmen.
Critics of the administration’s actions to remove DEI content insist that a deep understanding of history is necessary to prevent the same mistakes from happening again. For Sappey, reflecting on the Underground Railroad can also provide a new lens through which to view history.
“For a long time, the story of the Underground Railroad centered on the abolition movement and those good people leading it. After some of the conversations just mentioned, we now shift to place emphasis on the freedom seekers themselves and their stories,” said Sappey. “The story of those seeking freedom from enslavement, brutality, and horror is one of imagination, agency, determination and sacrifice.”
Yet, for those who opposed the resolution, the choice had little to do with whether the Underground Railroad was worth remembering.
One of the no votes came from Rep Wendy Fink, R-Red Lion, whose district has a special connection to the history.
“I vote ‘no’ on nearly every resolution that comes across my desk because I believe they waste valuable time and taxpayer resources. My constituents are free to recognize the events, holidays, people, diseases and other things resolutions highlight without permission from Harrisburg,” wrote Fink. “In fact, I encourage my constituents to learn more about this period in American history, as District 94 is home to several Underground Railroad historic sites but, I will continue to vote ‘no’ on resolutions. For me, it’s about the principle of them rather than what they call attention to.”
Her colleague, Rep. Scott Barger, R-Hollidaysburg, shared a similar sentiment about resolutions, which rarely find significant exposure beyond Harrisburg.
“I generally approach resolutions as a ‘no’ vote because I feel my constituents prefer legislators’ time and resources be spent on substantive issues like passing an on-time budget and protecting fairness in women’s sports,” said Barger. “I’ve voted ‘yes’ on resolutions in rare instances when the sponsor has made a compelling case to me that the resolution advances Pennsylvania’s interests.”
It’s a matter that raises the question of what traditions within state government are purely symbolic. From the Pledge of Allegiance to centuries-old parliamentary procedures to House resolutions, the commonwealth is steeped in gestures intended to evoke meaning for elected officials and their constituents.
In the case of this resolution, Pennsylvanians are called to consider their own perspective on the role of history in shaping the future.
Williams highlighted the significance of the Underground Railroad within the broader context of civil rights movements globally, saying, “It challenged directly the system of slavery by facilitating the escape of enslaved people, which was illegal at the time.”
“We are reminded with this resolution to reimagine slaves not as objects who were acted upon but as individuals who maintained identity and agency despite their status as property,” said Williams. “By recognizing International Underground Railroad Month, we may recognize American history and truly celebrate the freedom so we are not doomed to repeat history.”
