[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 28 (Wednesday, March 13, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    COMMISSION ON BLACK MEN AND BOYS

  (Ms. NORTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, as we move toward welfare reform, I want to 
report an extraordinary standing-room-only hearing by our Commission on 
Black Men and Boys here in the District last night. I established this 
12-man commission after noting serious challenges facing black men 
about a year ago; just as by focusing on women and children, we made 
good progress.
  The problems of black men are deep: 6 percent of the population, 50 
percent of inmates in jail, half of all HIV cases. The devastating 
effect has been on the African American family.
  This began with a flight of jobs, manufacturing jobs, from the 
African American community, replaced by an underground economy and an 
underground culture. We have to do something about those jobs.
  The lead witness last night was Darrell Green, the legendary football 
star who started his own foundation to assist youth and who spoke about 
manhood and about his own policy work.
  The commission is drawing its own action plan that the city has said 
it will carry out.
  I am grateful to the minority staff of the Committee on Government 
Reform, which is working with me to translate the commission's work 
nationally to benefit other districts.

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