[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 53 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 53

   Recognizing the achievement of parity among African-Americans in 
                           computer science.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2009

 Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas (for herself and Mr. Meeks of New 
York) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
                to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the achievement of parity among African-Americans in 
                           computer science.

Whereas the National Center for Education Statistics reports that since 1997, 
        the number of black students receiving baccalaureates in computer 
        science has more than doubled, from 2,463 to 5,875;
Whereas the percentage of blacks among computer science bachelor's degree 
        holders has been rising since 1998, and in 2006, blacks made up 12.4 
        percent of the candidates receiving those degrees, a proportion almost 
        equal to that of blacks in the United States population, which is 12.8 
        percent;
Whereas in other areas such as engineering, blacks do not have parity, because 
        they earned only 5 percent of bachelor's degrees in engineering in 2006;
Whereas the total number of students receiving degrees in computer science has 
        shrunk by more than 12,000 over the past two years for which the Federal 
        Government has data: from 59,488 in 2003 to 47,480 in 2005;
Whereas computer science is the bedrock of a great variety of future 
        technologies;
Whereas the National Society of Black Engineers has more than 4575 collegiate 
        members who have or are pursuing degrees in computer sciences since 
        2001;
Whereas Clarence ``Skip'' Ellis, born in 1943 in south Chicago, Illinois, is the 
        first African-American to attain a Ph.D. in computer science;
Whereas when he was 15, Dr. Ellis took a job at a local company and worked the 
        ``graveyard shift'', during which he guarded and educated himself about 
        computers, which in 1958 were very uncommon;
Whereas Dr. Ellis won a scholarship and matriculated at Beloit College in 1960, 
        and he discovered that he was the only African-American on campus;
Whereas Dr. Ellis graduated from Beloit College in 1964 with a double major in 
        math and physics, and he went on to earn a Ph.D. in computer science in 
        1969 at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana where he worked on 
        one of the world's first supercomputers, the Illiac 4;
Whereas Dr. Ellis is a trailblazer who symbolizes perseverance and success in 
        the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges;
Whereas the offshoring of jobs, and the H-1B visa program--which allows non-U.S. 
        citizens in high-skill professions to live in the U.S. as temporary 
        workers--are contributing to salary stagnation in domestic technology 
        jobs;
Whereas to remain competitive, computer scientists must continue to innovate, 
        learn new skills, and think creatively;
Whereas enrichment programs for middle school students are of critical 
        importance to retaining their interest in math and science, and an 
        example of a successful program is the Summer Engineering Experience for 
        Kids (SEEK) Camp, sponsored by the National Society of Black Engineers, 
        which since 2007 has included the participation of more than 900 third, 
        fourth, and fifth graders; and
Whereas the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, 
        National Institutes of Health, and other Federal agencies are well 
        positioned to increase the diversity of our Nation's science and 
        technology workforce through a variety of research and educational 
        programs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress recognizes the achievement of parity among African-
Americans in degrees conferred in computer science and celebrates this 
victory among persons of color, especially during Black History Month.
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