[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1496 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1496

           Recognizing persons of African descent in Europe.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 24, 2008

   Mr. Hastings of Florida (for himself, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Payne, Ms. 
  Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, and Mr. Jefferson) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
           Recognizing persons of African descent in Europe.

Whereas the 109th Congress passed H. Con. Res. 60 and S. Con. Res. 90, 
        recognizing African descendants in Latin America and the Caribbean, 
        raising awareness of the racism and discrimination faced by those 
        communities, and leading to numerous public and private sector 
        initiatives between the United States and Latin American and Caribbean 
        countries to improve the situation of African descendants;
Whereas the persistence of racism and discrimination in Europe similarly 
        necessitates congressional action to raise awareness and promote public 
        and private sector initiatives to stem this trend;
Whereas the terms ``Afro-European'', ``African European'', or ``Black European'' 
        refers to people of African ancestry or descent born in, citizens of, or 
        living in Europe;
Whereas more than an estimated 7,000,000 individuals of African descent 
        currently live in and have long had a presence in Europe, forming an 
        influential part of the African diaspora;
Whereas the story of Black Europeans remains untold, rendering many of their 
        past and present contributions to the political and social life of 
        Europe invisible or forgotten;
Whereas, unlike more contemporary figures, largely unknown Blacks have made 
        significant contributions to European history and culture, including 
        Spanish poet Juan Latino, Italian Duke Alessandro Medici, French 
        novelist Alexandre Dumas, German scholar Anthony William Amo, French 
        Composer Le Chevalier de St. George, British abolitionist Oladuah 
        Equiano, and Russian General and Governor Abram Hannibal, great-
        grandfather of Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin;
Whereas the largest estimated populations of Black Europeans can be found in 
        France (approximately 2,500,000), the United Kingdom (approximately 
        1,500,000), and the Netherlands (approximately 500,000), in addition to 
        sizeable populations in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, 
        Ireland, Russia, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, and Austria;
Whereas the presence of Blacks in Europe can be traced to voluntary and forced 
        migration resulting from the geographical proximity of Europe to Africa 
        and the Middle East, including the transatlantic slave trade, the 
        colonization of Africa and the Caribbean, African and African-American 
        military deployments, the movement of refugees and asylum seekers, and 
        educational and other professional exchanges;
Whereas, although Black Europeans have made significant achievements in and 
        contributions to European society, large numbers have and continue to be 
        more likely than the general population to experience discrimination and 
        be underrepresented in leadership roles in the public and private sector 
        as a result of the color of their skin and ancestry;
Whereas, on April 29, 2008, before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in 
        Europe, at a hearing entitled ``The State of (In)visible Black Europe: 
        Race, Rights, and Politics'', Dr. Philomena Essed stated, ``Probably the 
        only common European experience among many, if not all, Afro-descendants 
        is their exposure to [. . .] racism and systemic discrimination, 
        regardless of country, socio-economic conditions, gender, age, or level 
        of education'';
Whereas racism has long been, and continues to be, a problem in Europe;
Whereas the 1997 European Commission opinion poll entitled ``Racism and 
        Xenophobia in Europe'' reported a ``worrying level of racism and 
        xenophobia in [European Union] Member States, with nearly 33% of those 
        interviewed openly describing themselves as `quite racist' or `very 
        racist''';
Whereas the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (EUFRA), formerly the 
        European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia, found in its 2008 
        and 2007 annual reports that racial and ethnic minorities were 
        disproportionately experiencing discrimination in housing, education, 
        healthcare, employment, the criminal justice system, and access to 
        political participation;
Whereas the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office 
        for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights reported that racist 
        violence and crime or hate crimes are also a continuing problem, with 
        EUFRA reporting increases in 8 European Union countries, and Russia's 
        SOVA Center and Human Rights First reporting over 100 racist murders and 
        100 violent attacks in Russia and Ukraine in 2007 and 2008, yet in many 
        countries funds to assist victims with legal assistance and financial 
        support while recovering from violent attacks do not exist;
Whereas prejudice and discrimination towards Black Europeans has also been 
        linked to changes in immigration and asylum laws as a result of the 
        growth and mainstreaming of nationalist and anti-immigrant political 
        parties and groups, including neo-Nazis and skinheads, who believe 
        Europe should be a monoracial society or that other races are inferior;
Whereas Black Europeans encounter everyday racism, including denials that racism 
        exists despite the blatant use of stereotypes and derogatory terms to 
        refer to Blacks in everyday language, the media, and textbooks;
Whereas there have been numerous efforts by the public and private sector to 
        address racial discrimination and inequality in Europe, including the 
        introduction of antidiscrimination and equality laws that include the 
        legal support for special measures or positive (affirmative) action, 
        creation of equality bodies, media campaigns, efforts to increase 
        minority political participation, and the September 9, 2008, official 
        launching of the Black European Women's Council at the European Union 
        headquarters;
Whereas these efforts also include the September 27-29, 2007, Vienna Declaration 
        of the Black European Women's Congress, which calls for Members of the 
        European Union to enforce and implement laws to eradicate all forms of 
        discrimination, provide anti-racist education and training for personnel 
        working in educational institutions and the civil service, increase 
        political representation, participation, and employment opportunities 
        for Blacks, and provide mental health services for Black's impacted by 
        racism;
Whereas, despite these efforts, international entities, such as the OSCE 
        Personal Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and 
        Discrimination, EUFRA, the European Commission against Racism and 
        Intolerance, and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of 
        Racial Discrimination, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of 
        Racism, and Experts Working Group on People of African Descent, have 
        documented ongoing racism and xenophobia, and racial and ethnic 
        discrimination, and called for an increase in initiatives to combat 
        racism and inequality; and
Whereas, throughout the history of the United States, members of both the public 
        and private sectors have exchanged information on best practices for 
        antidiscrimination measures and racial equality with committed parties 
        in other countries, including recent initiatives such as the ``Joint 
        Action Plan Between the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil 
        and the Government of the United States of America to Eliminate Racial 
        and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality'', also known as the 
        United States-Brazil Joint Action Plan Against Racial Discrimination: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) encourages the United States and the international 
        community to recognize and honor the historical and present-day 
        contributions of Black Europeans;
            (2) recognizes that, as a result of their skin color and 
        ancestry, many Black Europeans have wrongfully experienced 
        injustices in the public and private sector;
            (3) calls upon European parliamentarians, including the 
        Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 
        Parliamentary Assembly, to engage in efforts to promote racial 
        equality and combat racial discrimination through efforts such 
        as introducing legislation, speaking out in their parliaments 
        against racism, and working with Black European and other 
        minority communities to develop relevant policies;
            (4) urges European governments and members of civil society 
        and the private sector, in consultation with Black European 
        communities, to develop and implement initiatives to combat 
        racial discrimination and promote racial equality in Europe, 
        by--
                    (A) drafting and implementing antidiscrimination, 
                special measures, hate crimes, migration and 
                integration, and other laws and policies to address 
                discrimination and disparities and promote equality, 
                noting the recommendations of the United Nations 
                Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 
                the Experts Working Group on People of African Descent 
                (WGPAD), the European Commission against Racism and 
                Intolerance, the European Union Fundamental Rights 
                Agency (EUFRA), the United Nations Special Rapporteur 
                on Contemporary Forms of Racism and Independent Expert 
                on minority issues, the OSCE Personal Representative on 
                Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, and 
                the Black European Women's Council;
                    (B) promoting and funding research, including the 
                collection of national census data on Black Europeans 
                and their inclusion in the annual reports of the EUFRA;
                    (C) providing technical support, training, and 
                funding to Black European civil society groups working 
                to combat racism, discrimination, and inequality, and 
                uphold basic human rights in Europe;
                    (D) introducing national measures to counter 
                stereotypical images of persons of African descent, by 
                revising textbooks, increasing efforts to include Black 
                Europeans in history and heritage institutions, and 
                commemorating victims of colonialism, slavery and other 
                atrocities;
                    (E) developing or increasing financial support for 
                funds to assist victims of hate crimes with legal 
                assistance and compensation when incapacitated due to 
                physical or emotional injuries;
                    (F) developing specific initiatives that address 
                the special concerns of Black European women and youth; 
                and
                    (G) recruiting, training, and hiring Black 
                Europeans for professional positions in support of 
                these initiatives; and
            (5) urges the Secretary of State to--
                    (A) provide technical assistance and other support 
                for European governments and members of the civil 
                society and private sector to fulfill the initiatives 
                outlined above; and
                    (B) increase support for the WGPAD.
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