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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida may construct a memorial on state Capitol grounds reminding visitors that slavery was once allowed in the nation's third-largest state.
A House panel Tuesday approved the bill sponsored by Rep. Kionne McGhee. McGhee, a Miami Democrat, says it's important to remind people of the contributions of those enslaved against their will in Florida.
The bill also says the memorial would recognize the injustice, cruelty and inhumanity of slavery. Florida does not currently have any slavery memorials.
State legislators last year authorized the creation of a Holocaust memorial at the state Capitol.
McGhee's bill does not say exactly when the memorial will be built but instructs state officials to work with the state's historical commission regarding the design and exact placement.
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