110 HCON 403 IH: Recognizing the important contributions of U.S. House of Representatives 2008-07-31 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

110th CONGRESS 2d Session

H. CON. RES. 403

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 31, 2008

Mr. Butterfield (for himself, Mrs. Christensen, Ms. Lee, Ms. Clarke, Ms. Edwards of Maryland, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Towns, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Carson, Ms. Richardson, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Watt, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Clay, Mr. Payne, Mr. Clyburn, Ms. Waters, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Davis of Alabama, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Jefferson, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Rush, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Meek of Florida, Ms. Watson, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Scott of Georgia, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Snyder, Ms. DeLauro, Ms. Solis, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Hooley, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Weiner, Ms. Eshoo, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Stark, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Honda, Mr. Miller of North Carolina, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Ms. Norton, Mr. Spratt, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Wamp, Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Melancon, Mr. Capuano, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Waxman, Ms. Berkley, and Ms. DeGette) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Recognizing the important contributions of African-American doctors on the event of the apology of the American Medical Association to the National Medical Association, an association of African-American doctors, for over a century of racial prejudices and wrongdoings, and for other purposes.

Whereas the American Medical Association (AMA) recently apologized to the National Medical Association (NMA), an association of African-American doctors, for its past history of racial inequality toward African-American physicians; Whereas the AMA used the occasion to share its current efforts to increase the ranks of minority physicians and their participation in their organization; Whereas the NMA, described as the largest and oldest national organization representing African-American physicians and their patients in the United States, was founded in 1895; Whereas the NMA is headquartered in the District of Columbia and represents more than 25,000 African-American doctors; Whereas the AMA, the largest association of physicians and medical students in the United States, was founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897; Whereas the AMA did not allow African-American doctors to join their organization for over a century because of their race; Whereas in 1968, the AMA became integrated by amending its constitution and bylaws to punish racial discrimination by permitting the expulsion of constituent societies; Whereas the AMA created the Minority Affairs Consortium in 1992, which is charged with increasing the number of underrepresented minority medical students and physicians; Whereas the AMA established the Commission to End Healthcare Disparities in 1994, whose mission is to “collaborate proactively to increase awareness among physicians and health professionals; use evidence-based and other strategies; and advocate for action, including governmental, to eliminate disparities in health care and strengthen the health care system”; Whereas Dr. Lonnie Bristow was named the first African-American president of AMA in 1994; Whereas there is still work to be done, as in 1910, African-American doctors made up 2.5 percent of total doctors in United States, and in 2008, Black doctors make up only 2.2 percent of total doctors in the United States; Whereas James Derham, born into slavery in 1757, was the first African-American to formally practice medicine, and did not attend medical school; Whereas James McCune Smith was the first university-trained African-American doctor, graduating with a medical degree earned in Scotland in 1837; Whereas David J. Peck was first African-American to graduate from an American medical school in 1847, and went on practice medicine in the United States; Whereas there were 14 African-American medical schools opened after the Civil War; Whereas Shaw University’s Leonard Medical School, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is one of the South’s oldest historically Black colleges and universities; Whereas Leonard Medical School was the first Black medical school in the Deep South, and the only Black medical school in North Carolina; Whereas Leonard Medical School and its more than 400 graduates went on to play important societal roles by leading hospitals, opening libraries, and starting businesses in the healthcare field; Whereas Leonard Medical School graduate Aaron Moore became the first African-American physician in Durham, North Carolina; Whereas after graduating in Leonard Medical School’s first graduating class, Lawson Andrew Scruggs started a tuberculosis sanatorium in Southern Pines, North Carolina, and was largely responsible for decreasing the death rate in Raleigh, North Carolina’s African-American community; and Whereas Leonard Medical School trained African-American doctors who made a positive impact on their communities and paved the way for other African-Americans to enter medicine in the future: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress— (1)recognizes the important contributions of African-American doctors on the event of the apology of American Medical Association (AMA) to the National Medical Association (NMA), an association of African-American doctors, for over a century of racial prejudices and wrongdoings; (2)recognizes the efforts of Dr. W. Montague Cobb, former president of the NMA in helping to break down the racial prejudices at the AMA that eventually led to the AMA's full integration; (3)recognizes Shaw University’s Leonard Medical School and other historically Black colleges and universities for their role in training African-American doctors who made a positive impact on their communities and paved the way for other African-Americans to enter medicine in the future; and (4)encourages more African-Americans to work in medicine and become doctors, nurses, and researchers to benefit the African-American community and society as a whole.