[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H397-H400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE CREATION OF THE NASCAR-HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES CONSORTIUM
Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 677) recognizing the creation of the NASCAR-
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Consortium.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 677
Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, while
there are 1.3 million automotive technicians currently
employed, industry figures confirm that an additional 50,000
technicians are needed to fill open positions each year;
Whereas the National Automotive Dealers Association reports
that 57 percent of their dealers' operating profit is
generated by their parts and service departments; that
dealers consider it difficult to find a qualified technician;
and that 42 percent of all dealer technicians have been
engaged in that line of work less than one year;
Whereas the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing,
Inc. (``NASCAR''),
[[Page H398]]
the NASCAR Universal Technical Institute, and a collaboration
of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (``HBCUs'')
have agreed to create a strategic alliance focused on
increasing the number and quality of job opportunities for
African-American students in key racing and other related
automotive business activities including automotive
engineering and technology, automotive safety, sports
marketing, and other automotive industry areas;
Whereas NASCAR and its partner HBCUs are establishing a
formal structure to increase the number and quality of job
opportunities for African-American students with NASCAR in
key racing and other related automotive business activities
through the NASCAR Universal Training Institute and the
NASCAR Diversity Internship Program;
Whereas NASCAR has agreed to efforts to enhance the
identification of employment opportunities with NASCAR such
as Internships, full time jobs, including entry level
management positions, part-time jobs for college students,
and post-graduate job placement for students pursuing
undergraduate and graduate degrees at partner HBCUs;
Whereas NASCAR and its partner HBCUs have developed a
program to increase awareness, access to, and participation
by African-American students in the NASCAR Universal Training
Institute and NASCAR Diversity Internship Program by partner
HBCUs for the racing and other related automotive industries;
and
Whereas NASCAR and the partner HBCUs will seek
opportunities to establish and enhance the funding of
targeted job development activities by partner HBCUs, and to
generate support for the HBCUs in their efforts to enhance
curriculum development in sports marketing, finance, human
resource management and other automotive industry areas: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the National Association for Stock Car Auto
Racing, Inc., the NASCAR Universal Technical Institute, and a
collaboration of Historically Black Colleges and
Universities, and their creation of a strategic alliance to
increase the number and quality of job opportunities for
African-American students in key racing and other related
automotive business activities;
(2) commends NASCAR, the NASCAR Universal Technical
Institute, the NASCAR Technical Training Institute, and the
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, for their
efforts to increase the number and quality of job
opportunities for African-American students in key racing and
other related automotive business activities; and
(3) encourages the Departments of Education and Labor and
other appropriate agencies of the Federal government to
support this effort.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Keller) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H. Res. 677.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 677, a measure
to recognize the creation of the NASCAR-Historically Black Colleges and
Universities Consortium. I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr.
Rogers) for offering this legislation and for his support of this
important partnership.
It is fitting that we are considering this resolution on the final
day of Black History Month, 4 weeks during which our Nation has
celebrated the countless contributions of African Americans to our
Nation's history.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, have played
an important role in enriching the lives of not just African Americans,
but our entire country. In fact, President Bush once noted, ``Our
Historically Black Colleges and Universities opened the door to
knowledge when other doors were barred. And today they offer exciting
opportunities to young people to contribute to their country.''
While compromising only 3 percent of our Nation's 2- and 4-year
institutions, HBCUs are responsible for producing 28 percent of all
bachelor's degrees, 15 percent of all master's degrees, and 17 percent
of all first professional degrees earned by African Americans. And
through its new partnership with the popular sport of NASCAR, the
impact of HBCUs is sure to grow.
The new NASCAR-HBCU Consortium will promote diversity throughout
NASCAR, including its marketing, service, and engineering departments.
This is particularly meaningful as our Nation seeks to increase the
number of students studying math and science in college. According to
the Department of Education's most recent figures, only about 9 percent
of students receiving a bachelor's degree in math or science are
African Americans, so the creation of this consortium could not have
come at a better time.
The United States must produce more students interested in math and
science in order for our Nation to excel in an increasingly global
economy. HBCUs are sure to be at the forefront of this effort.
Mr. Speaker, I applaud NASCAR for recognizing the contributions HBCUs
have made to American education and culture and, more importantly, the
contributions they will make in the future. I am proud that the House
has taken the lead in promoting the efforts of this consortium, which
will ensure new and exciting career opportunities for undergraduate and
graduate students attending HBCUs. I ask my colleagues to support this
resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 677, which recognizes the
creation of the recently formed partnership between NASCAR and
Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This partnership is aimed
at increasing the number and quality of job opportunities for African
American students in the NASCAR workforce, as well as other related
fields, including automotive engineering and technology, automotive
safety, sports marketing and other automotive industry areas.
{time} 1445
This year, 2006, marks NASCAR's 57th year of racing. Sadly, during
its 57 years, NASCAR has had just five black drivers to ever compete in
a Cup Series race.
In 1963, Wendell Scott finished 10th or better in the points
standings three times, and came away with the victory. However, Scott
did not receive his trophy until a month after the fact.
Second place finisher Buck Baker, who was white, was awarded the
trophy in fear of fan uproar. Today, nearly 45 years later, the number
of black NASCAR fans have increased, but minority drivers and
automotive technicians are still nearly nonexistent.
According to an ESPN poll, approximately 6.6 million NASCAR fans are
black, yet no black driver has competed at the Cup Series level since
Willie T. Ribbs ran three races 20 years ago.
The on-track program is not NASCAR's only effort at diversifying the
predominately white sport. NASCAR offers awards, diversity scholarships
to minority undergraduate and graduate students attending HBCUs.
The scholarship program is in its sixth year, and the NASCAR
diversity internship program is in its seventh year. The internship
program is a 10-week paid summer internship that introduces minority
students to NASCAR and various career opportunities throughout the
industry.
Many of the summer interns have graduated and are currently pursuing
engineering and sports management careers. As the automotive industry
grows and becomes more technologically demanding in the coming decades,
this partnership between NASCAR and Historically Black Colleges and
Universities will become increasingly vital.
Mr. Speaker, I support the resolution and urge my colleagues to do
so.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to
the author of this important resolution, the gentleman from Alabama
(Mr. Rogers).
Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of
H. Res. 677, a resolution recognizing the importance of the NASCAR-HBCU
Consortium. On February 8, 2006, the National Association for Stock Car
Auto Racing, NASCAR, announced a new collaboration with Historically
Black Colleges and Universities and the Universal Technical Institute.
[[Page H399]]
The effort, known as the NASCAR-HBCU Consortium, focuses on
increasing the number of job opportunities for African American
students in racing, technology, automotive safety and sports marketing.
I am especially pleased that over 40 Members of Congress have joined my
colleague, Representative Watt, and me in introducing this resolution.
Being from Alabama, I have firsthand knowledge of many of the
partners in this consortium. As a race fan, I have spent many days at
the Talladega Super Speedway, a facility that I am proud to represent
here in Congress. In addition, I have the honor of representing three
of the leading HBCUs in the Nation: Talladega College, Alabama State
University, and Tuskegee University. Their excellence and commitment to
education are known across our Nation.
In Alabama, we have been blessed by a thriving and growing automotive
industry. Both Honda and Hyundai have built large plants in my
congressional district, and they employ thousands of Alabamians with
good jobs at good wages.
Mr. Speaker, it is critical that all our young folks have the skills
to compete for these jobs. This new partnership should help more of
tomorrow's workers take advantage of these new opportunities.
I also call on the United States Departments of Education and Labor
to support this consortium as well. And finally I would like to thank
Speaker Hastert for his participation at the announcement of this
consortium.
Also I wish to thank Majority Leader Boehner and Chairman McKeon for
expediting this resolution for consideration. With that, I respectfully
ask the House for its support of this resolution.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she might
consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for his
leadership in managing this legislation as it comes to the floor, and
let me give my appreciation to Mr. Rogers and Mr. Watt for really
pinpointing an area that has such vast popularity and recognition and
finding in it an opportunity for education and jobs.
This partnership between NASCAR, the National Association for Stock
Car Auto Racing, as well as the HBCUs, is close to a partnership
longing to be established.
This relationship that deals with a sport that has come to be one of
the most popular in the United States of America, one that probably has
the greatest Sunday afternoon or Saturday afternoon audience of any of
our sports, and maybe our sports combined, now can stand as a symbol of
opportunity and civil rights.
It is a symbol now of a combination of the needs of the NASCAR sports
industry, and Historically Black Colleges. How important it is that we
discuss and debate this on the last day of commemorating African
American History Month.
Let me point out what is most exciting about this effort. One, HBCUs
are known to be one of the greatest resources for talented African
American students and others. In addition, Historically Black Colleges
are found mostly in the South, where it is known that the NASCAR effort
is most popular, but also the heart of that effort.
Of course, it combines education, skills and job opportunity. So this
partnership is all that we would ask it to be. We now look to the
Department of Education to really engage itself in whatever efforts are
necessary to promote, encourage and facilitate this partnership. Let us
provide the necessary resources, governmental if at all, necessary to
ensure that the partnership continues.
Finally, let me say, let me encourage the young people who might be
listening to this debate that the opportunity now stands for you to put
your internship, full-time jobs, including entry-level management
positions, part-time jobs and postgraduate job placement for students
pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees at partner HBCUs.
The skills would be, of course, the technical aspects of this
business, and that is relating to the automotive business activities,
including automotive engineering and technology, automotive safety,
sports marketing and other automotive industry areas.
Mr. Speaker, as I conclude, I want to congratulate my colleagues and
also say that this is, of course, planting the seeds. I have been
discussing with my universities in Texas the idea of looking at sports
management to cover the NFL, the NBA, and American baseball. These are
important economic engines, and it is certainly a very important step
that this resolution, H. Res. 677, is going forward, partnering HBCUs
with NASCAR.
Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any more speakers, and reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure now to yield
such time as he may consume to the cosponsor of this resolution and the
chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Representative Mel Watt.
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, Mr. Davis, for yielding
the time.
I am honored to be an original cosponsor with my friend, Congressman
Rogers from Alabama, of this legislation. Some people probably are
wondering why this kind of interesting coalition has come together.
Well, for me, it is about having the Lowes Motor Speedway in
Charlotte, North Carolina, not inside my congressional district, it is
actually in an adjoining congressional district represented by one of
my other North Carolina colleagues. But we know the value of NASCAR and
motor sports in North Carolina and in the area from which I come.
The second thing that converges here is the recognition that I have
five Historically Black Colleges and Universities in my district, and
two of them have already become a part of this partnership and will
benefit from NASCAR's diversity initiative: North Carolina A&T State
University in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Winston-Salem State
University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Representative Davis has indicated the history of NASCAR when it
comes to drivers, and that is important, but I want to emphasize that
this is not only about having drivers in the cars. NASCAR is a massive
conglomerate of entities, and a lot of people view NASCAR or motor
sports as just the guys that are out there running around the track or
the guys in the pits. There are marketing opportunities, there are
accounting opportunities; this is a major corporate undertaking here.
There are engineering opportunities.
I was so very impressed when I went to one of the shops there to know
that this is not just somebody putting a car out there, it is massaging
the tolerances and doing what is necessary to get those cars,
engineering-wise, to perform at their maximum performance level. So we
think this has tremendous potential for job opportunities for an
increase of diversity.
Now, is this unique? It may be somewhat unique for NASCAR, but it is
certainly not unique for the Congressional Black Caucus. The
Congressional Black Caucus, which I am honored to chair, has been in
the forefront of pushing job opportunities in every area of our lives:
in the sports arena, in the business arena, in the financial services
arena, you just name it, go down the list. So, for us, this is not a
unique program, it is a natural progression and an expansion of what we
set out to do.
And then, finally, I would just say that, as most things, this is at
its bottom line about money.
If we can take the fan base of NASCAR and superimpose on it all of
the African American potential that is out there, so that there is an
equal amount of customer and fan base in the African American community
as there is in other communities, you will see the same thing happen in
NASCAR that you saw happen when Tiger Woods became the superstar that
he is in golf.
You will see the same thing happen in NASCAR that has happened in
football and basketball and baseball and other sports. They have
recognized that there is a customer base out there that, if they take
advantage of it, can be cultivated if people who look like the
customers are involved in it.
So we dare not delude ourselves that this is all about just goodwill.
This is about money at its base. And it is about the American way, the
capital way of doing things.
We support that. We are not adverse to it. We are not opposing it. We
are
[[Page H400]]
supporters of that. We think this is a way to do it.
I want to congratulate my good friend, Mr. Rogers. And when we
introduced this resolution, a stream of my colleagues came immediately
to support the resolution.
I thank Speaker Hastert for joining us at the press conference where
this was rolled out. And I thank the leadership on both sides of the
aisle for expediting this resolution to the floor of the House.
{time} 1500
It does not cost us any money. All we are doing is congratulating,
encouraging private enterprise to be more diverse in their customer
base, in their employment base, in their opportunities that are
extended to all Americans. That is what this is all about. It deserves
our unqualified support, and I encourage my colleagues to support it
without even thinking about it a second time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Conaway). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Keller) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 677.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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