[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 132 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 132

       Recognizing people of African descent and Black Europeans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 18, 2021

Mr. Hastings (for himself, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. 
  Cohen, Mr. Meeks, and Mr. Rush) submitted the following resolution; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
       Recognizing people of African descent and Black Europeans.

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'' 
        refer to people of African ancestry or descent born in, citizens of, or 
        residing in Europe;
Whereas an estimated 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 Black Europeans 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 widely 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 Black Europeans 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), Germany (approximately 1,000,000), and the Netherlands 
        (approximately 500,000), in addition to sizeable populations in Italy, 
        Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Russia, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, 
        Denmark, and Austria;
Whereas the presence of Black Europeans can be traced throughout ancient history 
        to the present from both voluntary and forced migration resulting from 
        the geographical proximity of Europe to Africa and the Middle East, the 
        transatlantic slave trade, the colonization of Africa and the Caribbean, 
        African and African-American military deployments, to 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 experienced and 
        continue to be more likely than the general population to experience 
        discrimination and to be underrepresented in leadership roles in the 
        public and private sector;
Whereas racism has long been, and continues to be, a problem in Europe;
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'', author Gary Younge stated, ``We are here because you 
        were there [. . .]'', and Swedish Parliamentarian Joe Frans called for 
        ``a transatlantic dialogue on the experiences of [people of African 
        descent]'';
Whereas, as early as 1997, the 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 annual reports of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and 
        both the 2009 and 2018 European Union Minorities and Discrimination 
        Survey (EU-MIDIS I and II), the first European Union-wide surveys of 
        ethnic minority and immigrant groups' experiences of discrimination and 
        victimization in everyday life in the then 28 member states of the 
        European Union, found that persons of African descent experience high 
        incidents of discriminatory treatment, racially motivated crime, and 
        victimization, and lacked an awareness of their rights, often 
        underreporting cases of hate crimes and other forms of discrimination to 
        law enforcement and human rights agencies, and that the situation had 
        not drastically improved in the years between the two reports;
Whereas, in November 2018, the FRA launched ``Being Black in the EU: Second 
        European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey'', and called for 
        member states to develop specific solutions and guidance to address 
        findings that 30 percent of respondents had been racially harassed, 5 
        percent physically attacked, 25 percent discriminated against at work or 
        when looking for work, up to 76 percent faced unemployment in some 
        countries, and were experiencing high rates of discrimination in housing 
        and in the justice system, including profiling by law enforcement;
Whereas the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Office for 
        Democratic Institutions and Human Rights' (OSCE/ODIHR) most recent 2019 
        hate crimes report found more than 3,000 racist and xenophobic 
        incidents, including a number targeting Black Europeans, while OSCE 
        reports in previous years found a number of deaths and violent assaults 
        against ``people of African origin'', and that they are often targets of 
        racist and antimigrant violence, especially in Eastern Europe, yet in 
        many countries hate crimes are underreported and legal assistance and 
        financial support for victims while recovering from violent attacks does 
        not exist;
Whereas prejudice and discrimination toward Black Europeans has also been linked 
        to changes in immigration and asylum laws as a result of antiterrorism 
        initiatives and the growth and mainstreaming of nationalist and anti-
        immigrant political parties and groups, including White supremacists, 
        neo-Nazis, and skinheads;
Whereas, over a decade ago, numerous civil society reports, including the 2009 
        report entitled, ``Ethnic Profiling in the European Union'', and 
        subsequent reports found that police officers in the United Kingdom, 
        France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Russia routinely use racial 
        profiling, including targeting African descendants when deciding whom to 
        target for stops, searches, raids, and surveillance, leading at that 
        time to some of the largest Europeanwide grassroots and legal efforts to 
        end racial profiling in France, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe, and 
        over a decade of pan-European antiracism and empowerment initiatives 
        continuing until this day and recently highlighted by global racial 
        justice movements in response to the tragic death of George Floyd in the 
        United States;
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 legal 
        support for special measures or positive (affirmative) action, creation 
        of equality bodies, media campaigns, and efforts to increase minority 
        political participation, and campaigns to end the use of stereotypes and 
        derogatory terms to refer to people of African descent in everyday 
        language, the media, and textbooks;
Whereas these efforts include the United Nations designation of 2011 as the 
        International Year for People of African Descent and 2015-2024 as the 
        International Decade for People of African Descent in an effort to 
        strengthen national actions to ensure that people of African descent 
        enjoy economic, cultural, social, civil, and political rights, as well 
        as promote a greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage 
        and culture, and the November 12 and 13, 2009, United Nations (UN) 
        Second Session of the Forum on Minority Issues focused on Minorities and 
        Effective Political Participation convened by United Nations Independent 
        Expert on Minority Issues, Gay McDougall;
Whereas these efforts also include the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's (PA) annual 
        reports of the Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and 
        Intolerance, and the adoption of Resolutions: ``A Call for OSCE Action 
        to Address Violence and Discrimination'' in 2016, ``Addressing Racism 
        and Xenophobia Affecting People of African Descent in the OSCE Region'' 
        in 2012, and ``Strengthening Efforts to Combat Racism and Xenophobia and 
        Foster Inclusion'' in 2011 that included recognition of the 
        International Year for People of African Descent, and calling for the 
        OSCE to implement several strategic initiatives to address racial and 
        ethnic discrimination in the OSCE region;
Whereas, in 2011, OSCE/ODIHR held its first ``Roundtable on the contemporary 
        forms of racism and xenophobia affecting Peoples of African Descent in 
        the OSCE region'', organized by Racism and Xenophobia Advisor Larry 
        Olomoofe, and has since annually hosted antidiscrimination initiatives 
        that include a focus on people of African descent on hate crimes, women, 
        political participation, strengthening civil society, and other issues;
Whereas these efforts also include transatlantic meetings of Black European and 
        other diverse legislators held annually at the European Parliament in 
        Brussels, Belgium, and in the United States Congress in Washington, DC, 
        including the April 17-19, 2009, ``Black European Summit: Transatlantic 
        Dialogue on Political Participation'' and adoption of the Brussels 
        Declaration on political participation; and subsequent ``Transatlantic 
        Minority Political Leadership Conferences'';
Whereas, as part of the March 24, 2011, Transatlantic Minority Political 
        Leadership Conference (TMPLC), legislators and minority leaders from 
        North America and Europe held a Parliamentary Forum at the European 
        Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss a ``Joint Action Plan on 
        Racial and Ethnic Equality and Inclusion'' between the European Union 
        and the United States;
Whereas, in 2011, Members of the Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership 
        Conference worked in partnership with the German Marshall Fund, the 
        Department of State, and other stakeholders to found the Transatlantic 
        Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN) to increase diverse representation in 
        policymaking;
Whereas at the U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing Public Diplomacy, Democracy, and 
        Global Leadership, Lora Berg stated, ``When our actual diversity is 
        reflected in leadership, we gain extraordinary richness and capacity, 
        new avenues for innovation, global connections and growth. To achieve 
        this, we must bring our leadership opportunities to new populations and 
        develop the social capital to make this possible. The future of 
        transatlantic relations depends on [the] entrepreneurial approach [of 
        TILN].'';
Whereas, in October 2013, European parliamentarians in partnership with the 
        European Network Against Racism (ENAR) held ``(In)visible Diversity'' a 
        series of debates in the European Parliament, including a debate 
        entitled, ``People of African Descent and Black Europeans: Realities of 
        Afrophobia'' and in 2015 released the first pan-European policy guide 
        reviewing the current situation entitled, ``ENAR Anti-Racism in Focus 
        2--InvisibleVisible Minority: Confronting Afrophobia and Advancing 
        Equality for People of African Descent and Black Europeans in Europe'' 
        under the guidance of ENAR Chair Chibo Onyeji and Vice Chair Momodou 
        Jallow;
Whereas, in January 2014, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 
        (PACE) adopted Resolution 1967 (2014) on ``A strategy to prevent racism 
        and intolerance in Europe'' and implemented the recommendations;
Whereas, in January 2015, PACE established the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance, a 
        network of parliamentarians committed to countering racism, intolerance, 
        and hate speech, and the mandate of General Rapporteur on Combating 
        Racism and Intolerance, acting as coordinator of the Alliance;
Whereas, in January 2017, the European Network Against Racism published 
        ``Towards an EU Framework for National Strategies to Combat Afrophobia 
        and Promote Inclusion of People of African Descent and Black Europeans'' 
        to urge EU member states to adopt ``strong and specific policies to 
        address Afrophobia, including its structural dimensions and impact on 
        economic and social outcomes for people of African descent and Black 
        Europeans, including in employment, housing, education, health, 
        political participation, criminal justice and other sectors'';
Whereas, on July 25, 2017, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights 
        stated, ``The position of Black people in Europe needs to be 
        strengthened, irrespective of whether it concerns recent migrants from 
        Africa or already established Black communities [. . .] European states 
        must first come to terms with their own past [including] publicly 
        acknowledge that slavery, the slave trade and colonialism are among the 
        major sources of current discrimination against Black people.'', and 
        recommended European states implement strategies across health, 
        education, justice, employment, and other sectors;
Whereas, in October 2017, the United Kingdom Prime Minister released the Race 
        Disparity Audit ``examin[ing] how people of different backgrounds are 
        treated across areas including health, education, employment and the 
        criminal justice system'', which found inequalities in education, 
        housing, income and employment, justice, and health between persons of 
        African and Caribbean background and others, and published the findings 
        online, appointed Nero Ughwujabo as the first Special Advisor of the 
        Race Disparity Audit, Lord Simon Woolley as Chair of the Race Equality 
        Unit Advisory Board, and announced 90 million British pounds to 
        implement strategies to address disparities found by the audit;
Whereas, in 2018, Polish Sejm Member Killion Munyama, Rapporteur of the 
        Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Committee on Equality 
        and Non-Discrimination authored measures that were adopted on 
        ``Promoting diversity and equality in politics'' that identified 
        challenges to political participation faced by visible minorities and 
        due to skin color;
Whereas the May 19, 2018, royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the 
        Duke of Sussex, also raised awareness of the long history and situation 
        of African descent populations in Europe;
Whereas, on May 13 through 17, 2018, the European Parliament and European 
        Economic and Social Committee, under the leadership of European 
        Parliamentarian Cecile Kyenge of Italy, hosted the inaugural People of 
        African Descent Week (PAD Week) in Brussels, Belgium, in partnership 
        with the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup 
        (ARDI), Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership Conference (TMPLC), 
        Each One Teach One (EOTO), the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), 
        and supported by congressional members of the United States Helsinki 
        Commission;
Whereas PAD Week featured over a hundred experts, activists, and policymakers to 
        increase awareness of people of African descent living in Europe and to 
        discuss solutions to address the racial discrimination and violence they 
        face;
Whereas Member of the European Parliament Cecile Kyenge stated, ``In addition to 
        honouring the history and contribution of Europe's Black population, the 
        People of African Descent Week reaffirms European values by developing 
        strategic and coherent responses to make our society more inclusive in 
        the face of rising racial prejudice and violence across Europe.'';
Whereas PAD Week final recommendations call on European Union institutions and 
        national governments to specifically adopt a set of initiatives for 
        Black Europeans, including--

    (1) recognize past injustices and contributions and adopt a European 
Black History Month and Remembrance Day for Victims of Colonialism and 
Enslavement;

    (2) fund Black European-led initiatives to address continuing 
disparities and discrimination, and support empowerment initiatives through 
the creation of caucuses, civil society funds, and fellowships;

    (3) adopt a Parliamentary Resolution and EU Framework for National 
Strategies for Inclusion of People of African Descent in Europe; and

    (4) support transatlantic exchanges to support common solutions to 
common issues of racial prejudice and discrimination;

Whereas, on April 4, 2019, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel apologized 
        during a plenary session of the Belgian Parliament in Brussels for 
        taking thousands of children from mixed-race couples during its 
        colonial-era rule of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and 
        Rwanda;
Whereas, on June 24, 2019, the Amsterdam City Council agreed to research the 
        city's role in the transatlantic slave trade, issue a public apology, 
        and called upon the Dutch Prime Minister to also issue an apology for 
        the slave trade, prompting similar efforts across European cities and 
        countries;
Whereas, between September 23-25, 2019, efforts to improve the situation of 
        Black and other diverse communities in Europe continued as part of the 
        EP and civil society-led Anti-Racism and Diversity Week;
Whereas, between November 28-30, 2019, the Afro-German civil society 
        organization Each One Teach One (EOTO) organized PADWEEK Germany in the 
        Bundestag (German Parliament) featuring more than 30 Afro-German 
        organizations to advance policy solutions to the situation of Black 
        populations in Germany;
Whereas, in March 2020, the German federal government created the Committee 
        against Right-Wing Extremism and Racism (Kabinettausschuss zur 
        Bekampfung von Rechtsextremismus und Rassismus) leading to the November 
        2020 adoption of a series of measures and close to a billion euros in 
        funding to address the problem including victim protection and 
        preventative measures;
Whereas, in June 2020, King Philippe of Belgium on the occasion of the 60th 
        anniversary of the independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo 
        wrote: ``During the time of the Congo Free State [1885-1908], acts of 
        violence and brutality were committed that weigh still on our collective 
        memory. The colonial period that followed also caused suffering and 
        humiliations. I would like to express my deepest regrets for the wounds 
        of the past, the pain of today, which is rekindled by the discrimination 
        all too present in our society'';
Whereas, on September 20, 2020, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in 
        Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) in cooperation with the European 
        Parliament's Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Human Rights, Committee on 
        Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and the European Parliament 
        Liaison Office in Washington, DC, adopted a Joint Declaration To 
        Reinforce US-EU Parliamentary Coordination To Combat Racism And 
        Discrimination on both sides of the Atlantic following the Joint Meeting 
        on Reinforcing U.S.-EU Parliamentary Coordination to Combat Racism and 
        Systemic Discrimination where the EU Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli 
        presented the EU's first-ever Anti-Racism Action Plan;
Whereas, on December 2, 2020, European institutions held an inaugural event 
        entitled, ``Recognizing the Past, Repairing the Present, Building the 
        Future'' to commemorate the first European Day for the Abolition of the 
        Slave Trade;
Whereas throughout 2020 PACE's No Hate Parliamentary Alliance raised awareness 
        of discrimination against people of African descent in Europe through 
        hearings on subjects including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 
        vulnerable groups, the infiltration of racist and far-right extremists 
        in law enforcement bodies and the military, and structural and 
        institutional racism;
Whereas, in January 2021, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 
        adopted Resolution 2364 (2021) on ``Ethnic profiling in Europe: a matter 
        of great concern''; and
Whereas in addition to EU institutions, international entities such as the OSCE 
        Personal Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and 
        Discrimination, OSCE/ODIHR Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Unit, OSCE 
        PA Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance, 
        FRA, COE Human Rights Commissioner, European Commission against Racism 
        and Intolerance (ECRI) and PACE General Rapporteur on combating racism 
        and intolerance, and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of 
        Racial Discrimination, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of 
        Racism, Independent Expert on Minority Issues, and the Working Group of 
        Experts on People of African Descent (WGEPAD), have all documented 
        ongoing racism and xenophobia, and racial and ethnic discrimination, and 
        called for increases in initiatives to combat racism and inequality and 
        foster inclusion: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) encourages the recognition and celebration of the 
        collective history and achievements made by people of African 
        descent;
            (2) reaffirms the importance of antiracism initiatives, 
        inclusion, and the full and equal participation of people of 
        African descent around the world in all aspects of political, 
        economic, social, and cultural life;
            (3) recognizes that many Black Europeans have wrongfully 
        experienced injustices in the public and private sector;
            (4) welcomes parliamentary activities, including those of 
        the European Parliament, Organization for Security and Co-
        operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly, Parliamentary 
        Assembly of the Council of Europe, and United States Congress, 
        to engage in efforts to promote racial equality and combat 
        racial discrimination through efforts such as introducing 
        legislation, speaking out against racism, increasing the 
        political participation of diverse populations through 
        initiatives such as the Transatlantic Minority Political 
        Leadership Conference and Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders 
        Network, and working with Black European and other diverse 
        communities to develop relevant policies;
            (5) 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 and inclusion 
        in Europe, by--
                    (A) implementing the European Parliament resolution 
                of 19 June 2020 on the anti-racism protests following 
                the death of George Floyd, the EU Anti-racism Action 
                Plan, and developing a Framework for National 
                Strategies to Promote Inclusion of and Combat 
                Discrimination towards people of African descent and 
                Black Europeans;
                    (B) drafting and implementing antidiscrimination, 
                special measures, hate crimes, migration and 
                integration, inclusion, 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 Working Group of Experts on People 
                of African Descent, the European Union Fundamental 
                Rights Agency, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on 
                Contemporary Forms of Racism and Independent Expert on 
                Minority Issues, Council of Europe Human Rights 
                Commissioner and European Commission against Racism and 
                Intolerance, and the OSCE Personal Representative on 
                Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination and 
                OSCE/ODIHR Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Unit;
                    (C) promoting and funding research, including the 
                collection of national census data on Black Europeans 
                and its inclusion in the annual reports of the FRA and 
                other official reporting at the EU and national levels;
                    (D) providing technical support, training, and 
                funding to Black European civil society and private 
                sector groups and experts working to combat racism, 
                discrimination, and inequality, uphold basic human 
                rights in Europe, and increase economic opportunity and 
                empowerment;
                    (E) 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 
                remembering victims of colonialism, enslavement, and 
                other atrocities;
                    (F) 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;
                    (G) actively promoting racial and ethnic 
                representation and participation at all levels of 
                national, regional, and local government through the 
                education of civil and political rights, including the 
                legislative process and advocacy of legislative issues 
                relevant to racial and ethnic communities, development 
                of targeted professional advancement and hiring 
                strategies, increased youth and community outreach, and 
                self-organization and other empowerment initiatives; 
                and
                    (H) recruiting, training, hiring, and retaining 
                Black Europeans for professional positions in support 
                of these initiatives;
            (6) urges the Secretary of State and Administrator of the 
        United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to--
                    (A) provide technical assistance and other support 
                for European governments and members of the civil 
                society and private sector to fulfill the initiatives 
                described above, including by expanding United States 
                Government efforts with the OSCE to increase the 
                capacity of members of African descent communities to 
                address discrimination;
                    (B) increase support for the Working Group of 
                Experts on People of African Descent and International 
                Decade for People of African Descent; and
                    (C) establish a Global Office of African Descent 
                Affairs within the Department of State headed by senior 
                officials to develop and implement global foreign 
                policy and assistance strategies to improve the 
                situation of people of African descent, create a 
                Department of State fund to support antidiscrimination 
                and empowerment efforts by African descent-led civil 
                society organizations around the world, and include a 
                section on discrimination faced by people of African 
                descent in the Department of State's Annual Country 
                Reports Human Rights Practices, and work with USAID and 
                other United States Government agencies to implement 
                the strategy;
            (7) supports the adoption of a ``Joint Action Plan on 
        Racial and Ethnic Equality and Inclusion'' between the European 
        Union and United States modeled after similar United States 
        agreements with Colombia and Brazil, and implementation of the 
        OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Resolutions on People of African 
        Descent and addressing racial and xenophobic violence and 
        discrimination to assist in fulfilling the initiatives above; 
        and
            (8) urges the Secretary of State and the Administrator of 
        USAID to provide a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
        and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
        Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on Department of 
        State and USAID efforts to address global racial and ethnic 
        discrimination, including any funding efforts or international 
        exchange opportunities for civil society.
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