NY J01229

Commemorates the unveiling of "Hope Out of Darkness," the first-ever bronze sculpture of Solomon Northup, at Saratoga Spa State Park on July 10, 2025—his 218th birthday

Honors Solomon Northup, a free Black man born in Minerva, NY in 1807, who was kidnapped from Saratoga Springs and held in slavery for 12 years in Louisiana before documenting his experience in "Twelve Years a Slave"

Recognizes sculptor Wesley Wofford and the Solomon Northup Committee for Commemorative Works of Louisiana for commissioning and creating the bronze sculpture

Notes the sculpture will temporarily display in New York before moving to its permanent home in Marksville, Louisiana, where Northup was enslaved

Acknowledges Northup's lasting cultural impact through the Oscar-winning 2013 film "12 Years A Slave" and previous Capitol exhibitions honoring his story